arXiv subjects

K. G. Libbrecht

Publications and source records attributed to K. G. Libbrecht.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2012

Crystal Growth in the Presence of Surface Melting: Novel Behavior of the Principal Facets of Ice

We present measurements of the growth rates of the principal facet surfaces of ice from water vapor as a function of supersaturation over the temperature range -2 C > T > -40 C. Our data are well described by a dislocation-free layer-nucleation model, parameterized by the attachment coefficient as a function of supersaturation α(σ) = Aexp(-σ_0/σ). The measured parameters A(T) and σ_0(T) for the basal and prism facets exhibit a complex behavior that likely originates from structural changes in the ice surface with temperature, in particular the onset and development of surface melting for T > -15 C. From σ_0(T) we extract the terrace step energy β(T) as a function of temperature for both facet surfaces. As a basic property of the equilibrium ice surface, the step energy β(T) may be amenable to calculation using molecular dynamics simulations, potentially yielding new insights into the enigmatic surface structure of ice near the triple point.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Measurements of Growth Rates of (0001) Ice Crystal Surfaces

We present measurements of growth rates of the (0001) facet surface of ice as a function of water vapor supersaturation over the temperature range $-2$ $\geq T\geq -40$ C. From these data we infer the temperature dependence of premelting on the basal surface and the effects of premelting on the ice growth dynamics. Over this entire temperature range the growth was consistent with a simple 2D nucleation model, allowing a measurement of the critical supersaturation $σ_{0}(T)$ as a function of temperature. We find that the 2D nucleation barrier is substantially diminished when the premelted layer is partially developed, as indicated by a reduced $σ_{0},$ while the barrier is higher both when the premelted layer is fully absent or fully developed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2009

Measurements of Ice Crystal Growth Rates in Air at -5C and -10C

We present experiments investigating the growth of ice crystals from water vapor in air using a free-fall convection chamber. We measured growth rates at temperatures of -5 C and -10 C as a function of supersaturation at an air pressure near one bar. We compared our data with numerical models of diffusion-limited growth based on cellular automata to extract surface growth parameters at different temperatures and supersaturations. From these investigations we hope to better understand the surface molecular dynamics that determine crystal growth rates and morphologies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2009

Aerodynamical Effects in Snow Crystal Growth

We review several aspects of aerodynamics that affect the growth, morphology, and symmetry of snow crystals. We derive quantitative estimates for aerodynamical forces that orient falling snow crystals, estimate how air flow around snow crystals affects their growth rates (the ventilation effect), and examine how the combination of orientation and growth modification can stabilize or destabilize different growth behaviors. Special attention is given to the formation of triangular snow crystals, since it appears that aerodynamical effects are responsible for producing this unusual morphology, both in nature and in the laboratory.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2009

Aerodynamic Stability and the Growth of Triangular Snow Crystals

We describe laboratory-grown snow crystals that exhibit a triangular, plate-like morphology, and we show that the occurrence of these crystals is much more frequent than one would expect from random growth perturbations of the more-typical hexagonal forms. We then describe an aerodynamic model that explains the formation of these crystals. A single growth perturbation on one facet of a hexagonal plate leads to air flow around the crystal that promotes the growth of alternating facets. Aerodynamic effects thus produce a weak growth instability that can cause hexagonal plates to develop into triangular plates. This mechanism solves a very old puzzle, as observers have been documenting the unexplained appearance of triangular snow crystals in nature for nearly two centuries.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2005

Macroscopic coherence effects in a mesoscopic system: Weak localization of thin silver films in an undergraduate lab

We present an undergraduate lab that investigates weak localization in thin silver films. The films prepared in our lab have thickness, $a$, between 60-200 Å, a mesoscopic length scale. At low temperatures, the inelastic dephasing length for electrons, $L_ϕ$, exceeds the thickness of the film ($L_ϕ \gg a$), and the films are then quasi-2D in nature. In this situation, theory predicts specific corrections to the Drude conductivity due to coherent interference between conducting electrons' wavefunctions, a macroscopically observable effect known as weak localization. This correction can be destroyed with the application of a magnetic field, and the resulting magnetoresistance curve provides information about electron transport in the film. This lab is suitable for Junior or Senior level students in an advanced undergraduate lab course.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2003

An Investigation of Laboratory-Grown "Ice Spikes"

We have investigated the formation of 10-50 mm long ``ice spikes'' that sometimes appear on the free surface of water when it solidifies. By freezing water under different conditions, we measured the probability of ice spike formation as a function of: 1) the air temperature in the freezing chamber, 2) air motion in the freezing chamber (which promotes evaporative cooling), 3) the quantity of dissolved salts in the water, and 4) the size, shape, and composing material of the freezing vessel. We found that the probability of ice spike formation is greatest when the air temperature is near -7 C, the water is pure, and the air in the freezing chamber is moving. Even small quantities of dissolved solids greatly reduce the probability of ice spike formation. Under optimal conditions, approximately half the ice cubes in an ordinary ice cube tray will form ice spikes. Guided by these observations, we have examined the Bally-Dorsey model for the formation of ice spikes. In this model, the density change during solidification forces supercooled water up through a hollow ice tube, where it freezes around the rim to lengthen the tube. We propose that any dissolved solids in the water will tend to concentrate at the tip of a growing ice spike and inhibit its growth. This can qualitatively explain the observation that ice spikes do not readily form using water containing even small quantities of dissolved solids.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗