A discrete model of water with two distinct glassy phases

TL;DR

This paper presents a minimal lattice model for non-crystalline water that captures thermodynamic anomalies and reveals two distinct glassy phases with a first-order transition, using advanced statistical physics methods.

Contribution

It introduces a novel discrete lattice model for water that exhibits two glassy phases and complex energy landscapes, advancing understanding of water's amorphous states.

Findings

Model reproduces thermodynamic anomalies of water.

Identifies two coexisting glassy phases with different densities.

Demonstrates a complex free-energy landscape with many metastable states.

Abstract

We investigate a minimal model for non-crystalline water, defined on a Husimi lattice. The peculiar random-regular nature of the lattice is meant to account for the formation of a random 4-coordinated hydrogen-bond network. The model turns out to be consistent with most thermodynamic anomalies observed in liquid and supercooled-liquid water. Furthermore, the model exhibits two glassy phases with different densities, which can coexist at a first-order transition. The onset of a complex free-energy landscape, characterized by an exponentially large number of metastable minima, is pointed out by the cavity method, at the level of 1-step replica symmetry breaking.