ANOMALOUS TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF VIBRATIONAL LIFETIMES IN WATER AND ICE

We have used femtosecond two-color midinfrared spectroscopy to determi ne the temperature dependence of the OH-stretching lifetime in dilute HDO:D2O solution, both in the liquid and solid (ice Ih) state. Like ma ny other properties of water, the vibrational lifetime shows a remarka ble temperature dependence: In liquid water the vibrational relaxation of the OH-stretching mode is twice as slow as in ice, and becomes eve n slower with increasing temperature.