Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 4, 2026

High-pressure Sapphire Cell for Phase Equilibria Measurements of CO2/Organic/Water Systems
Published on: January 24, 2014
Structure and phase diagram of high-density water: the role of interstitial molecules
A Marco Saitta1, Frédéric Datchi
1Physique des Milieux Condensés, CNRS-UMR 7602, B77, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75252 Paris, France. ms@pmc.jussieu.fr
Abstract:
The structural transformations occurring to water from the low- to the high-density regimes have been studied by classical molecular dynamics calculations. The local structure is analyzed through a proper choice of the relevant orientational distribution functions. This approach sheds light on the key role played by the interstitial molecules in the second coordination shell and identifies a clear structural fingerprint of high-density water. As a consequence, the analogy between the structure of high-density water and those of high-density ices is evidenced.
Related Concept Videos
States of Water
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
Phase Diagrams
Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties
Phase Diagram
Phase Diagram
Phase Diagrams of Ternary Systems

