Mechanisms of Dendrites Occurrence during Crystallization: Features of the Ice Crystals Formation

TL;DR

This paper investigates the mechanisms behind dendrite formation during crystallization, focusing on ice crystals, and suggests that electric fields and dipole interactions influence dendrite growth, with implications for atmospheric and technological processes.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of dendrite formation mechanisms involving electric double layers and dipole interactions, highlighting the role of radio-emission in monitoring crystallization processes.

Findings

Electric fields strengthen dendrite growth.

Radio-emission correlates with dendrite formation.

Dendrite mechanisms apply to various dipole molecules.

Abstract

Dendrites formation in the course of crystallization presents very general phenomenon, which is analyzed in details via the example of ice crystals growth in deionized water. Neutral molecules of water on the surface are combined into the double electric layer (DEL) of oriented dipoles; its field reorients approaching dipoles with observable radio-emission in the range of 150 kHz. The predominant attraction of oriented dipoles to points of gradients of this field induces dendrites growth from them, e.g. formation of characteristic form of snowflakes at free movement of clusters through saturated vapor in atmosphere. The constant electric field strengthens DELs' field and the growth of dendrites. Described phenomena should appear at crystallization of various substances with dipole molecules, features of radio-emission can allow the monitoring of certain processes in atmosphere and in technological processes. Crystallization of particles without constant moments can be stimulated by DELs of another nature with attraction of virtual moments of particles to gradients of fields and corresponding dendrites formation.