Computational free energy studies of a new ice polymorph which
exhibits greater stability than Ice Ih
Christopher J. Fennell and J. Daniel Gezelter *
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
The absolute free energies of several ice polymorphs were calculated
using thermodynamic integration. These polymorphs are predicted by
computer simulations using a variety of common water models to be
stable at low pressures. A recently discovered ice polymorph that has
as yet only been observed in computer simulations (Ice-i),
was determined to be the stable crystalline state for all the
water models investigated. Phase diagrams were generated, and phase
coexistence lines were determined for all of the known low-pressure
ice structures. Additionally, potential truncation was shown to play
a role in the resulting shape of the free energy landscape.