Water Buckyball Terahertz Vibrations in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Cosmology

TL;DR

This paper reveals that water buckyball-like clusters exhibit unique terahertz vibrational modes, which could have implications across multiple scientific disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, and cosmology.

Contribution

First-principles calculations demonstrate the existence of distinctive terahertz vibrations in water buckyball clusters, linking their electronic states to potential applications in various fields.

Findings

Water clusters have unique 1-6 THz vibrational modes.

These modes involve oxygen-oxygen-oxygen bending and twisting.

Excited states of clusters relate to Rydberg matter formation.

Abstract

Pentagonal dodecahedral buckyball-like water clusters and arrays thereof are shown from first-principles electronic-structure calculations to possess unique terahertz vibrational modes in the 1-6 THz range, corresponding to oxygen-oxygen-oxygen bending and twisting surface distortions of the clusters. In their excited electronic states these water clusters constitute a form of Rydberg matter. Applications to Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Cosmology are described.