Configurational Statistics

Theories of the dielectric constant in ice differ in three fundamentally different ways that are often confused with each other. First, there is the choice of interactions to include in the model, notably whether to try to include long-range dipolar interactions as in the Kirkwood theory or to include only the short-range ice-rule interactions. Second, there is the choice of the kind of statistical quantity calculated, e.g. the Kirkwood correlation factor g or the polarization factor G, which Stillinger and Cotter showed to be different. Finally, there is the choice of the kind of computational tool used, and in original papers this choice often obscures the first two differences. With these distinctions in mind a review is given of current theoretical calculations of the dielectric constant and the residual entropy and how the different theories relate to each other and to experiments.