> The researchers used a colloidal model of water in their simulation, and then two widely used molecular models of water. Colloids are particles that can be a thousand times larger than a single water molecule. By virtue of their relatively bigger size, and hence slower movements, colloids are used to observe and understand physical phenomena that also occur at the much smaller atomic and molecular length scales.
> Dr Chakrabarti, a co-author, says: “This colloidal model of water provides a magnifying glass into molecular water, and enables us to unravel the secrets of water concerning the tale of two liquids.”
this seems backward to me? the colloidal model sounds like a higher level model of molecular water: the opposite of a magnifying glass. or is it that they model several molecules within the context of a single colloid, and by modeling only one colloid instead of a larger volume it becomes computationally feasible to use a more detailed model of the molecular behavior within that small space?
> Dr Chakrabarti, a co-author, says: “This colloidal model of water provides a magnifying glass into molecular water, and enables us to unravel the secrets of water concerning the tale of two liquids.”
this seems backward to me? the colloidal model sounds like a higher level model of molecular water: the opposite of a magnifying glass. or is it that they model several molecules within the context of a single colloid, and by modeling only one colloid instead of a larger volume it becomes computationally feasible to use a more detailed model of the molecular behavior within that small space?