Abstract
We investigate the response of bulk liquid water to a temperature gradient using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. It is shown that the thermal gradient polarizes water in the direction of the gradient, leading to a non-negligible electrostatic field whose origin lies in the water reorientation under nonequilibrium conditions. The dependence of the magnitude of the electrostatic field with the temperature gradient is in agreement with nonequilibrium thermodynamics theory. We conclude that temperature gradients of the order of could result in fairly large polarizations .
- Received 28 March 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.020602
©2008 American Physical Society
Synopsis
Polarization in hot water
Published 21 July 2008
Molecular dynamics simulations show that thermal gradients – of order K over a meter - can polarize liquid water. The finding could have interesting implications for developing hyperthermal treatments that target cancer cells.
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