Theory 05/Molecular & anomalous/Interfacial water
Dielectric Drop Is a Field Ratio
The claim
The dielectric constant at an interface falls over a thickness set by the ratio of local field to hydrogen-bond reorganisation energy, so the low-permittivity layer is a few molecules thick.
01Mechanism
Alignment requires bonds to reorganise; the ratio sets how far the perturbation propagates.
02Prediction
Layer thickness should track the ratio.
03Refutation
A thickness independent of field would remove the argument.