IS THERE A REENTRANT SPINODAL IN LIQUID WATER

The supercooled and stretched regions of the phase diagram of simulate d liquid water are investigated by calculating the equation of state o f the ST2 pair-potential. We find that simulated water does not displa y a re-entrant spinodal and that the projection of the density maximum line in the plane of pressure and temperature becomes positively slop ed on stretching. The well known anomalous behavior of supercooled wat er is tentatively associated with the existence of an inaccessible cri tical point. Evidence is presented that suggests the association of th is new critical point with the transition between low density and high density amorphous solid water.