High-density amorphous ice: A path-integral simulation

Abstract: Structural and thermodynamic properties of high-density amorphous (HDA) ice have been studied by path-integral molecular dynamics simulations in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble. Interatomic interactions were modeled by using the effective q-TIP4P/F potential for flexible water. Quantum nuclear motion is found to affect several observable properties of the amorphous solid. At low temperature (T = 50 K) the molar volume of HDA ice is found to increase by 6%, and the intramolecular O--H distance rises by 1.4% due to quantum motion. Peaks in the radial distribution function of HDA ice are broadened respect to their classical expectancy. The bulk modulus, B, is found to rise linearly with the pressure, with a slope dB/dP = 7.1. Our results are compared with those derived earlier from classical and path-integral simulations of HDA ice. We discuss similarities and discrepancies with those earlier simulations.