REFRACTIVE-INDEX OF WATER-LIKE FLUIDS

The refractive index of a waterlike fluid is calculated from a frequency- and wave-vector-dependent dielectric function. This model for the dielectric function of waterlike fluids as symmetric rotors is formulated in terms of the self-part of the dipole-dipole correlation function and a static, wave-vector-dependent local-field factor. The dielectric response of the waterlike fluids has been generalized to take into account the vibrational degree of freedom of the atoms. We calculate the refractive index of water-like fluids at the microwave-, infrared-, and optical-frequency region and compare it to the available experimental data.