Microscopic dynamics in water and ionic aqueous solutions: velocity cross-correlations

Abstract

The microscopic momentum transfer between distinct particles in water and ionic aqueous solutions has been investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The time correlation functions between the initial velocity of a central molecule and later velocities of molecules within different coordination shells were calculated for liquid water. Special attention was paid to the influence of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds on the exchange of momentum among water molecules and on the power spectra of the velocity autocorrelation functions. The velocity cross-correlations between ions in an aqueous NaCl solution also were calculated. It was observed that the difference between the results for the Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions are associated mainly with the different sizes of the ions.