THE MUTUAL DIFFUSION OF LIGHT AND HEAVY WATER

With the aid of a new diffusion cell and Rayleigh interferometry the mutual diffusion of light and heavy water was measured at 5, 25, and 45 deg over the entire range of composition. Paralleling rather closely the fluidity of H/ sub 2/O--D/sub 2/O mixtures, and also the chloride ion mobilitv therein, the diffusion coefficient exhibits small negative departures from a linear decrease with increasing mole fraction of D/sub 2/O. The effect of temperature on diffusion in this sytem is compared with that of large solutes in aqueous solution. (auth)