Reply Why X ray spectral features are compatible to continuous distribution models in ambient water

Ambient water properties have been shown to require heterogeneity 1 is the imperative followed by Pettersson et al. 2 to relate X ray spectroscopic findings to a heterogeneous or 2 phase model of ambient water. In ref. 3 we question this hypothesis based on quantitative X ray spectroscopic evidence. We come to conclude that X ray spectroscopies support no observations related to heterogeneous, distinct structural motives in ambient water. The critique of sum rules by Pettersson et al. 2 is unjustified Through normalization to the asymptotic behavior we avoid sum rule normalization of X ray absorption spectroscopy XAS . In liquid water, extended X ray absorption fine structure oscillations are less than a percent for the used normalization range 4 digitized , and less than twice that for ice 5 . Pettersson et al. 2 point toward well known discrepancies between XAS calculations and experiment