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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
Cooperative origin of low-density domains in liquid water
Jeffrey R Errington1, Pablo G Debenedetti, Salvatore Torquato
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
Abstract:
We study clusters formed by water molecules possessing large enough tetrahedrality with respect to their nearest neighbors. Using Monte Carlo simulation of SPC/E water and Voronoi tessellation, we find that regions of lower density than the bulk are formed by accretion of molecules into clusters exceeding a minimum size. Clusters are predominantly linear objects and become less compact as they grow until they reach a size beyond which further accretion is not accompanied by a density decrease. The results suggest that the formation of "icelike" regions in liquid water is cooperative.
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