Electron Scattering in Liquid Water and Amorphous Ice: A Striking Resemblance

The lack of accurate low-energy electron scattering cross sections for liquid water is a substantial source of uncertainty in the modeling of radiation chemistry and biology. The use of existing amorphous ice scattering cross sections for the lack of liquid data has been discussed controversially for decades. Here, we compare experimental photoemission data of liquid water with corresponding predictions using amorphous ice cross sections, with the aim of resolving the debate regarding the difference of electron scattering in liquid water and amorphous ice. We find very similar scattering properties in the liquid and the ice for electron kinetic energies up to a few hundred electron volts. The scattering cross sections recommended here for liquid water are an extension of the amorphous ice cross sections. Within the framework of currently available experimental data, our work answers one of the most debated questions regarding electron scattering in liquid water.