UndEr MicroWavES: MolEcUlar dynaMicS

Through the use of molecular dynamics simulations, we have studied the enhanced heating of salty ice and water by the electric field of applied microwaves at 2.5 GHz, and in the range of 2.5-10 GHz for the frequency dependence. We show that water molecules in salty ice are allowed to rotate in response to the microwave electric field to the extent comparable to those in pure water because the molecules in salty ice are loosely tied by hydrogen bonds with adjacent molecules unlike rigidly bonded pure ice. The weakening of hydrogen-bonded network of molecules in salty ice is mainly due to the electrostatic effect of salt ions rather than the short-range geometrical (size) effect of salt since the presence of salt ions with small radii causes similar enhanced heating