Cavity distribution in liquid water and hydrophobic hydration

Cavity distributions are examined in liquid water, a Lennard-Jones fluid and an artificial liquid having the same molecular arrangement as water at 25 °C and 1 g/cm−3. It is found that the chemical potential of cavity formation is much reduced in liquid water compared with that of the artificial liquid. This arises from a difference in fluctuation of coordination number around a central molecule. A structural enhancement in water is observed near a large cavity.