UC Berkeley

We report the assignment and analysis of 176 transitions belonging to a librational band of the (H₂O)₆ cage isomer near 525 cm^-1(15 THz). From a fit of the transitions to an asymmetric top model, we observe both dramatic changes in the rotational constants relative to the ground state, indicating significant nonrigidity, and striking enhancement in the tunneling motions that break and reform the hydrogen bonds in the cluster. This is the fifth water cluster system to display such an enhancement in the 15 THz librational region, the details of which may help to elucidate the hydrogen bond dynamics occurring in bulk liquid water.