Temperature dependence of isotopic quantum effects in water

Staggered structural dynamic-mediated selective adsorption of H2O/D2O on flexible graphene oxide nanosheets

Graphene oxide (GO) is the one of the most promising family of materials as atomically thin membranes for water-related molecular separation technologies due to its amphipathic nature and layered structure. Here, we show important aspects of GO on water adsorption from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, and ex-situ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. Although the MD simulations for GO and the reduced GO models revealed that the flexibility of the interlayer spacing could be attributed to the oxygen-functional groups of GO, the ultra-large GO model cannot well explain the observed swelling of GO from XRD experiments. Our MD simulations propose a realistic GO interlayer structure constructed by staggered stacking of flexible GO sheets, which can explain very well the swelling nature upon water adsorption. The transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observation also supports the non-regular staggered stacking structure of GO. Furthermore, we demonstrate the existence of the two distinct types of adsorbed water molecules in the staggered stacking: water bonded with hydrophilic functional groups and "free" mobile water. Finally, we show that the staggered stacking of GO plays a crucial role in H/D isotopic recognition in water adsorption, as well as the high mobility of water molecules.

Solvent-mediated isotope effects strongly influence the early stages of calcium carbonate formation: exploring D2O vs. H2O in a combined computational and experimental approach

In experimental studies, heavy water (D₂O) is employed, e.g., so as to shift the spectroscopic solvent background, but any potential effects of this solvent exchange on reaction pathways are often neglected. While the important role of light water (H₂O) during the early stages of calcium carbonate formation has been realized, studies into the actual effects of aqueous solvent exchanges are scarce. Here, we present a combined computational and experimental approach to start to fill this gap. We extended a suitable force field for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Experimentally, we utilised advanced titration assays and time-resolved attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. We find distinct effects in various mixtures of the two aqueous solvents, and in pure H₂O or D₂O. Disagreements between the computational results and experimental data regarding the stabilities of ion associates might be due to the unexplored role of HDO, or an unprobed complex phase behaviour of the solvent mixtures in the simulations. Altogether, however, our data suggest that calcium carbonate formation might proceed "more classically" in D₂O. Also, there are indications for the formation of new structures in amorphous and crystalline calcium carbonates. There is huge potential towards further improving the understanding of mineralization mechanisms by studying solvent-mediated isotope effects, also beyond calcium carbonate. Last, it must be appreciated that H₂O and D₂O have significant, distinct effects on mineralization mechanisms, and that care has to be taken when experimental data from D₂O studies are used, e.g., for the development of H₂O-based computer models.

Isotope effects on the structural transformation and relaxation of deeply supercooled water

We have examined the structure of supercooled liquid D2O as a function of temperature between 185 and 255 K using pulsed laser heating to rapidly heat and cool the sample on a nanosecond timescale. The liquid structure can be represented as a linear combination of two structural motifs, with a transition between them described by a logistic function centered at 218 K with a width of 10 K. The relaxation to a metastable state, which occurred prior to crystallization, exhibited nonexponential kinetics with a rate that was dependent on the initial structural configuration. When the temperature is scaled by the temperature of maximum density, which is an isostructural point of the isotopologues, the structural transition and the non-equilibrium relaxation kinetics of D2O agree remarkably well with those for H2O.

Structural Analysis of Molecular Materials Using the Pair Distribution Function

This is a review of atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis as applied to the study of molecular materials. The PDF method is a powerful approach to study short- and intermediate-range order in materials on the nanoscale. It may be obtained from total scattering measurements using X-rays, neutrons, or electrons, and it provides structural details when defects, disorder, or structural ambiguities obscure their elucidation directly in reciprocal space. While its uses in the study of inorganic crystals, glasses, and nanomaterials have been recently highlighted, significant progress has also been made in its application to molecular materials such as carbons, pharmaceuticals, polymers, liquids, coordination compounds, composites, and more. Here, an overview of applications toward a wide variety of molecular compounds (organic and inorganic) and systems with molecular components is presented. We then present pedagogical descriptions and tips for further implementation. Successful utilization of the method requires an interdisciplinary consolidation of material preparation, high quality scattering experimentation, data processing, model formulation, and attentive scrutiny of the results. It is hoped that this article will provide a useful reference to practitioners for PDF applications in a wide realm of molecular sciences, and help new practitioners to get started with this technique.

Structure of disordered materials under ambient to extreme conditions revealed by synchrotron x-ray diffraction techniques at SPring-8-recent instrumentation and synergic collaboration with modelling and topological analyses

The structure of disordered materials is still not well understood because of insufficient experimental data. Indeed, diffraction patterns from disordered materials are very broad and can be described only in pairwise correlations because of the absence of translational symmetry. Brilliant hard x-rays from third-generation synchrotron radiation sources enable us to obtain high-quality diffraction data for disordered materials from ambient to high temperature and high pressure, which has significantly improved our grasp of the nature of order in disordered materials. Here, we introduce the progress in the instrumentation for hard x-ray beamlines at SPring-8 over the last 20 years with associated results and advanced data analysis techniques to understand the topology in disordered materials.

Dielectric response of light, heavy and heavy-oxygen water: isotope effects on the hydrogen-bonding network's collective relaxation dynamics

Isotopic substitutions largely affect the dielectric relaxation dynamics of hydrogen-bonded liquid water; yet, the role of the altered molecular masses and nuclear quantum effects has not been fully established. To disentangle these two effects we study the dielectric relaxation of light (H216O), heavy (D216O) and heavy-oxygen (H218O) water at temperatures ranging from 278 to 338 K. Upon 16O/18O exchange, we find that the relaxation time of the collective orientational relaxation mode of water increases by 4-5%, in quantitative agreement with the enhancement of viscosity. Despite the rotational character of dielectric relaxation, the increase is consistent with a translational mass factor. For H/D substitution, the slow-down of the relaxation time is more pronounced and also shows a strong temperature dependence. In addition to the classical mass factor, the enhancement of the relaxation time for D216O can be described by an apparent temperature shift of 7.2 K relative to H216O, which is higher than the 6.5 K shift reported for viscosity. As this shift accounts for altered zero-point energies, the comparison suggests that the underlying thermally populated states relevant to the activation of viscous flow and dielectric relaxation differ.

Dynamical Collectivity and Nuclear Quantum Effects on the Intermolecular Stretching Mode of Liquid Water

This study investigated the broadband terahertz and low-frequency Raman spectroscopy of liquid water (H₂O, D₂O, and H₂¹⁸O) over 2 decades of frequency to address long-standing challenges regarding the interpretation of the intermolecular stretching mode at around 5 THz. We experimentally demonstrated that the intermolecular stretching mode of liquid water obtained via terahertz spectroscopy is significantly redshifted and broadened compared with that via Raman. This result was rationalized by the enhanced dynamical collectivity probed by terahertz spectroscopy, although both have a common origin in the kinetic motion. Their temperature and isotope dependences emphasize the significance of oscillation mass in determining the intermolecular stretching lineshape, while quantum effects cannot be overlooked in both terahertz and low-frequency Raman spectra.

Gas-Phase Isotopic Fractionation Study of Singly and Doubly Deuterated Isotopologues of Water in the H-D Exchange Reaction by Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy

The underlying mechanisms of the triple-oxygen (¹⁶O, ¹⁷O, and ¹⁸O) isotopic content of deuterated (D) isotopologues of water in H-D exchange reactions in the gas phase remain elusive. Herein, we have demonstrated a high-resolution gas-phase spectral analysis of doubly (D₂O) and singly (HDO) deuterated isotopologues of water in the region around 7.8 μm using quantum cascade laser-based cavity ring-down spectroscopy. Isotopic fractionations among doubly and singly deuterated species of water, D₂¹⁶O, HD¹⁶O, HD¹⁷O, and HD¹⁸O, in the gas phase were carried out by probing the fundamental and hot band transitions in the ν₂ (bending) mode of D₂O and the fundamental ν₂ transitions for the other water isotopes. We subsequently investigated the fractionations of different D-enriched water isotopologues for the H-D exchange reaction using various mixtures of D₂O in H₂O. We explored the potential role of triple-oxygen isotopic contents through enrichments and depletions of HD¹⁶O, HD¹⁷O, and HD¹⁸O, involved in the H-D reaction. Our first clear, direct, and quantitative experimental evidence reveals a new picture of gas-phase isotopic fractionation chemistry in a mixture of light and heavy water (H₂O-D₂O).

X-ray and Neutron Study on the Structure of Hydrous SiO2 Glass up to 10 GPa

The structure of hydrous amorphous SiO2 is fundamental in order to investigate the effects of water on the physicochemical properties of oxide glasses and magma. The hydrous SiO2 glass with 13 wt.% D2O was synthesized under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions and its structure was investigated by small angle X-ray scattering, X-ray diffraction, and neutron diffraction experiments at pressures of up to 10 GPa and room temperature. This hydrous glass is separated into two phases: a major phase rich in SiO2 and a minor phase rich in D2O molecules distributed as small domains with dimensions of less than 100 Å. Medium-range order of the hydrous glass shrinks compared to the anhydrous SiO2 glass by disruption of SiO4 linkage due to the formation of Si–OD deuterioxyl, while the response of its structure to pressure is almost the same as that of the anhydrous SiO2 glass. Most of D2O molecules are in the small domains and hardly penetrate into the void space in the ring consisting of SiO4 tetrahedra.

Impact of nuclear quantum effects on the structural inhomogeneity of liquid water

The 2D Raman-terahertz (THz) response of liquid water is studied in dependence of temperature and isotope substitution ([Formula: see text]O, [Formula: see text]O, and [Formula: see text]O). In either case, a very short-lived (i.e., between 75 and 95 fs) echo is observed that reports on the inhomogeneity of the low-frequency intermolecular modes and hence, on the heterogeneity of the hydrogen bond networks of water. The echo lifetime slows down by about 20% when cooling the liquid from room temperature to the freezing point. Furthermore, the echo lifetime of [Formula: see text]O is [Formula: see text] slower than that of [Formula: see text]O, and both can be mapped on each other by introducing an effective temperature shift of [Formula: see text] K. In contrast, the temperature-dependent echo lifetimes of [Formula: see text]O and [Formula: see text]O are the same within error. [Formula: see text]O and [Formula: see text]O have identical masses, yet [Formula: see text]O is much closer to [Formula: see text]O in terms of nuclear quantum effects. It is, therefore, concluded that the echo is a measure of the structural inhomogeneity of liquid water induced by nuclear quantum effects.

Observation of the thermal influenced quantum behaviour of water near a solid interface

Water is essential for life. However, the structure and properties of water are still not well understood. It has been introduced that anomalies are in vicinal water near solid interfaces. We performed capillary flow experiments on water with a silica colloid sample using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system by accurately varying the temperature and analysed the peak shape rigorously. We obtained a novel anomalous temperature spectrum from the peak-shape analysis. Here we report the observed distinct specific anomalous temperature (SAT) behaviour in vicinal water at silica interface. The anomaly appeared in the viscous force that was derived from a relationship between the shape of the HPLC peak and the velocity profile for the capillary flow. The observations were highly reproducible, and we conclude that the SAT is related to the quantum mechanical behaviour of water, in agreement of the characteristic acceptance of thermal displacement according to the Franck-Condon principle. We performed the same experiments using heavy water and water mixed with a small amount of methanol, and the results support the quantum phenomenological origin.

Electron-Hole Theory of the Effect of Quantum Nuclei on the X-Ray Absorption Spectra of Liquid Water

Electron-hole excitation theory is used to unveil the role of nuclear quantum effects on the x-ray absorption spectral signatures of water, whose structure is computed via path-integral molecular dynamics with the MB-pol intermolecular potential model. Compared to spectra generated from the classically modeled water, quantum nuclei introduce important effects on the spectra in terms of both the energies and line shapes. Fluctuations due to delocalized protons influence the short-range ordering of the hydrogen bond network via changes in the intramolecular covalence, which broaden the preedge spectra. For intermediate-range and long-range ordering, quantum nuclei approach the neighboring oxygen atoms more closely than classical protons, promoting an "icelike" spectral feature with the intensities shifted from the main edge to the postedge. Computed spectra are in nearly quantitative agreement with the available experimental data.

Temperature-Independent Nuclear Quantum Effects on the Structure of Water

Nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) have a significant influence on the hydrogen bonds in water and aqueous solutions and have thus been the topic of extensive studies. However, the microscopic origin and the corresponding temperature dependence of NQEs have been elusive and still remain the subject of ongoing discussion. Previous x-ray scattering investigations indicate that NQEs on the structure of water exhibit significant temperature dependence [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 047801 (2005)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.94.047801]. Here, by performing wide-angle x-ray scattering of H_{2}O and D_{2}O droplets at temperatures from 275 K down to 240 K, we determine the temperature dependence of NQEs on the structure of water down to the deeply supercooled regime. The data reveal that the magnitude of NQEs on the structure of water is temperature independent, as the structure factor of D_{2}O is similar to H_{2}O if the temperature is shifted by a constant 5 K, valid from ambient conditions to the deeply supercooled regime. Analysis of the accelerated growth of tetrahedral structures in supercooled H_{2}O and D_{2}O also shows similar behavior with a clear 5 K shift. The results indicate a constant compensation between NQEs delocalizing the proton in the librational motion away from the bond and in the OH stretch vibrational modes along the bond. This is consistent with the fact that only the vibrational ground state is populated at ambient and supercooled conditions.

The structure of water around the compressibility minimum

Here we present diffraction data that yield the oxygen-oxygen pair distribution function, g(OO)(r) over the range 254.2-365.9 K. The running O-O coordination number, which represents the integral of the pair distribution function as a function of radial distance, is found to exhibit an isosbestic point at 3.30(5) Å. The probability of finding an oxygen atom surrounding another oxygen at this distance is therefore shown to be independent of temperature and corresponds to an O-O coordination number of 4.3(2). Moreover, the experimental data also show a continuous transition associated with the second peak position in g(OO)(r) concomitant with the compressibility minimum at 319 K.

Investigation of the structure of ethanol-water mixtures by molecular dynamics simulation I: analyses concerning the hydrogen-bonded pairs

Series of molecular dynamics simulations for ethanol-water mixtures with 20-80 mol % ethanol content, pure ethanol, and water were performed. In each mixture, for ethanol the OPLS force field was used, combined with three different water force fields, the SPC/E, the TIP4P-2005, and the SWM4-DP. Water potential models were distinguished on the basis of deviations between calculated and measured total scattering X-ray structure factors aided by ethanol-water pair binding energy comparison. No single water force field could provide the best agreement with experimental data at all concentrations: at the ethanol content of 80% the SWM-DP, for 60 mol % the SWM4-DP and the TIP4P-2005, whereas for the 40 and 20 mol % mixtures TIP4P-2005 water force field provided the closest match. Coordination numbers and hydrogen bonds/molecule values were calculated, revealing that the oxygen-oxygen first coordination numbers strongly overestimate the average number of hydrogen bonds/molecule. The center-of-molecule distributions indicate that the ethanol-ethanol first coordination sphere expands with increasing water concentration while the size of the first water-water coordination sphere does not change. Various two and three-dimensional distributions were calculated that reveal the differences between simulations with different water force fields. Detailed conformational analyses of the hydrogen-bonded pairs were performed; drawings of the characteristic molecular arrangements are provided.

The Radial Distribution Functions of Water as Derived from Radiation Total Scattering Experiments: Is There Anything We Can Say for Sure?

The present paper reviews the investigation of ambient water structure and focusses in particular on the determination of the radial distribution functions of water from total experimental radiation scattering experiments. A novel method for removing the inelastic scattering from neutron data is introduced, and the effect of Compton scattering on X-ray data is discussed. In addition the extent to which quantum effects can be discerned between heavy and light water is analysed against these more recent data. It is concluded that, with the help of modern data analysis and computer simulation tools to interrogate the scattering data, a considerable degree of consistency can be obtained between recent and past scattering experiments on water. That consistency also gives a realistic estimate of the likely uncertainties in the extracted radial distribution functions, as well as offering a benchmark against which future experiments can be judged.

A Review of High-Energy X-Ray Diffraction from Glasses and Liquids

This paper summarizes the scientific trends associated with the rapid development of the technique of high-energy X-ray diffraction over the past decade pertaining to the field of liquids, glasses, and amorphous materials. The measurement of high-quality X-ray structure factors out to large momentum transfers leads to high-resolution pair distribution functions which can be directly compared to theory or combined with data from other experimental techniques. The advantages of combining highly penetrating radiation with low angle scattering are outlined together with the data analysis procedure and formalism. Also included are advances in high-energy synchrotron beamline instrumentation, sample environment equipment, and an overview of the role of simulation and modeling for interpreting data from disordered materials. Several examples of recent trends in glass and liquid research are described. Finally, directions for future research are considered within the context of past and current developments in the field.

Isotope effects in water as investigated by neutron diffraction and path integral molecular dynamics

The structures of heavy and light water at 300 K were investigated by using a joint approach in which the method of neutron diffraction with oxygen isotope substitution was complemented by path integral molecular dynamics simulations. The diffraction results, which give intra-molecular O-D and O-H bond distances of 0.985(5) and 0.990(5) Å, were found to be in best agreement with those obtained by using the flexible anharmonic TTM3-F water model. Both techniques show a difference of  ≃ 0.5% between the O-D and O-H intra-molecular bond lengths, and the results support a competing quantum effects model for water in which its structural and dynamical properties are governed by an offset between intra-molecular and inter-molecular quantum contributions. Further consideration of the O-O correlations is needed in order to improve agreement with experiment.

Oxygen as a site specific probe of the structure of water and oxide materials

The method of oxygen isotope substitution in neutron diffraction is introduced as a site specific structural probe. It is employed to measure the structure of light versus heavy water, thus circumventing the assumption of isomorphism between H and D as used in more traditional neutron diffraction methods. The intramolecular and intermolecular O-H and O-D pair correlations are in excellent agreement with path integral molecular dynamics simulations, both techniques showing a difference of ≃0.5% between the O-H and O-D intramolecular bond distances. The results support the validity of a competing quantum effects model for water in which its structural and dynamical properties are governed by an offset between intramolecular and intermolecular quantum contributions.

Hydrogen bond dynamics in heavy water studied with quantum dynamical simulations

The structure and dynamics of the hydrogen-bond network in heavy water (D(2)O) is studied as a function of the temperature using quantum dynamical simulations. Our approach combines an ab initio-based representation of the water interactions with an explicit quantum treatment of the molecular motion. A direct connection between the calculated linear and nonlinear vibrational spectra and the underlying molecular dynamics is made, which provides new insights into the rearrangement of the hydrogen-bond network in heavy water. A comparison with previous calculations on liquid H(2)O suggests that tunneling does not effectively contribute to the dynamics of the water hydrogen-bond network above the melting point. However, the effects of nuclear quantization are not negligible at all temperatures and become increasingly important near the melting point, which is in agreement with recent experimental analysis of the structural properties of liquid water as well as of the proton momentum distribution in supercooled water.

Isotope quantum effects on the water proton mean kinetic energy

A deep inelastic neutron scattering experiment, performed on D(2)O in the stable and metastable liquid phases, provides evidence for isotope quantum effects in the proton or deuteron single particle dynamics along the hydrogen bond. The deuteron mean kinetic energy extracted from the experimental data in the metastable supercooled phase (T = 276.15 K) exceeds the zero point energy and scales as sqrt[2] with that of protons in supercooled light water, at T = 269.15 K. The present data support the suggestion that even small changes in the short range environment of a deuteron or proton have a strong influence on its quantum behavior.

Contrasting dynamics of water and mineral nutrients in stems shown by stable isotope tracers and cryo-SIMS

Lateral exchange of water and nutrients between xylem and surrounding tissues helps to de-couple uptake from utilization in all parts of a plant. We studied the dynamics of these exchanges, using stable isotope tracers for water (H(2)(18)O), magnesium ((26)Mg), potassium ((41)K) and calcium ((44)Ca) delivered via a cut stem for various periods to the transpiration stream of bean shoots (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Fardenlosa Shiny). Tracers were subsequently mapped in stem cross-sections with cryo-secondary ion mass spectrometry. The water tracer equilibrated within minutes across the entire cross-section. In contrast, the nutrient tracers showed a very heterogeneous exchange between xylem vessels and the different stem tissues, even after 4 h. Dynamics of nutrients in the tissues revealed a fast and extensive exchange of nutrients in the xylem parenchyma, with, for example, calcium being completely replaced by tracer in less than 5 min. Dilution of potassium tracer during its 30 s transit in xylem sap through the stem showed that potassium concentration was up-regulated over many hours, to the extent that some of it was probably supplied by phloem recirculation from the shoot.

Solid and liquid spectroscopic analysis (SALSA)--a soft x-ray spectroscopy endstation with a novel flow-through liquid cell

We present a novel synchrotron endstation with a flow-through liquid cell designed to study the electronic structure of liquids using soft x-ray spectroscopies. In this cell, the liquid under study is separated from the vacuum by a thin window membrane, such that the sample liquid can be investigated at ambient pressure. The temperature of the probing volume can be varied in a broad range and with a fast temperature response. The optimized design of the cell significantly reduces the amount of required sample liquid and allows the use of different window membrane types necessary to cover a broad energy range. The liquid cell is integrated into the solid and liquid spectroscopic analysis (SALSA) endstation that includes a high-resolution, high-transmission x-ray spectrometer and a state-of-the-art electron analyzer. The modular design of SALSA also allows the measurement of solid-state samples. The capabilities of the liquid cell and the x-ray spectrometer are demonstrated using a resonant inelastic x-ray scattering map of a 25 wt % NaOD solution.

Acoustic levitator for structure measurements on low temperature liquid droplets

A single-axis acoustic levitator was constructed and used to levitate liquid and solid drops of 1-3 mm in diameter at temperatures in the range -40 to +40 degrees C. The levitator comprised (i) two acoustic transducers mounted on a rigid vertical support that was bolted to an optical breadboard, (ii) an acoustic power supply that controlled acoustic intensity, relative phase of the drive to the transducers, and could modulate the acoustic forces at frequencies up to 1 kHz, (iii) a video camera, and (iv) a system for providing a stream of controlled temperature gas flow over the sample. The acoustic transducers were operated at their resonant frequency of approximately 22 kHz and could produce sound pressure levels of up to 160 dB. The force applied by the acoustic field could be modulated to excite oscillations in the sample. Sample temperature was controlled using a modified Cryostream Plus and measured using thermocouples and an infrared thermal imager. The levitator was installed at x-ray beamline 11 ID-C at the Advanced Photon Source and used to investigate the structure of supercooled liquids.

The properties of water: insights from quantum simulations

The properties of water play a central role in many phenomena of relevance to different areas of science, including physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and climate research. Although well studied for decades, the behavior of water under different conditions and in different environments still remains mysterious and often surprising. In this article, various efforts aimed at providing a comprehensive representation of the water properties at a molecular level through computer modeling and simulation will be described. In particular, the unique role played by the hydrogen-bond network will be examined, first in liquid water, then in the solvation of model biological compounds, and finally in ice, especially highlighting the important effects related to the quantization of the nuclear motion.

Quantum Differences between Heavy and Light Water

The structures of heavy and light water at ambient conditions are investigated with the combined techniques of x-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and computer simulation. It is found that heavy water is a more structured liquid than light water. We find the OH bond length in H2O is approximately 3% longer than the OD bond length in D2O. This is a much larger change than current predictions. Corresponding to this, the hydrogen bond in light water is approximately 4% shorter than in heavy water, while the intermolecular HH distance is approximately 2% longer.

Extracting the pair distribution function of liquids and liquid-vapor surfaces by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction mode

We show that the structure factor S(q) of water can be obtained from x-ray synchrotron experiments at grazing angle of incidence (in reflection mode) by using a liquid surface diffractometer. The corrections used to obtain S(q) self-consistently are described. Applying these corrections to scans at different incident beam angles (above the critical angle) collapses the measured intensities into a single master curve, without fitting parameters, which within a scale factor yields S(q). Performing the measurements below the critical angle for total reflectivity yields the structure factor of the top most layers of the water/vapor interface. Our results indicate water restructuring at the vapor/water interface. We also introduce a new approach to extract g(r), the pair distribution function (PDF), by expressing the PDF as a linear sum of error functions whose parameters are refined by applying a nonlinear least square fit method. This approach enables a straightforward determination of the inherent uncertainties in the PDF. Implications of our results to previously measured and theoretical predictions of the PDF are also discussed.

Nuclear quantum effects in water

A path-integral Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation of liquid water and ice is performed. It is found that the inclusion of nuclear quantum effects systematically improves the agreement of first-principles simulations of liquid water with experiment. In addition, the proton momentum distribution is computed utilizing a recently developed open path-integral molecular dynamics methodology. It is shown that these results are in good agreement with experimental data.