Mechanism for ice growth on the surface of a spherical water droplet
The formation and growth of ice particles, particularly on the surfaces of spherical water droplets, bear profound implications for localized weather systems and global climate. Herein, we develop a theoretical framework for ice nucleation on minuscule water droplets, establishing that $10--5000\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$ droplets can considerably increase in volume, making a substantial contribution to ice formation within mist, fog, or even cloud systems. We reveal that the Casimir-Lifshitz (van der Waals) interaction within these systems is robust enough to stimulate both water and ice growth on the surfaces of ice-cold spherical water droplets. The significant impacts and possible detectable phenomena from the curvature are demonstrated.
Authors
- Iver Brevik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9793-8278)
- Oleksandr I. Malyi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2366-2838)
- M. Boström (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5111-4049)
- Prachi Parashar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0812-0421)
- Yang Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5973-8980)
- Clas Persson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9050-5445)
Institutions
- John A. Logan College (US)
- Nanchang University (CN)
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO)
- University of Warsaw (PL)
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology (SE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical review. B./Physical review. B
- Published
- 2025-02-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.111.075426
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.25
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Fundacja na rzecz Nauki Polskiej
- Narodowe Centrum Nauki
- Infrastruktura PL-Grid
- Horizon 2020