The potential of average force between two ions at infinite dilution in a solvent of polarizable hard spheres

Abstract

The potential of average force between two ions at infinite dilution in a solvent of polarizable hard spheres is considered. The ions are treated as hard spheres with point charges and the solvent molecules are treated as polarizable hard spheres. The diameter of ions may be different than the diameter of polarizable particles. The potential of average force rises near contact much more steeply than the primitive model would permit and also has maxima and minima vanishing at larger distances, in semiquantitative agreement with the similar results of Patey and Valleau. The oscillating character of the potential of average force is due above all to the oscillations of the radial distribution function between the ion and polarizable hard sphere.