Toward a Comprehensive Model of Snow Crystal Growth Dynamics: 2. Structure Dependent Attachment Kinetics near -5 C

TL;DR

This paper provides experimental evidence that structure-dependent attachment kinetics significantly influence ice crystal growth near -5°C, with implications for understanding atmospheric snow crystal formation.

Contribution

It demonstrates the presence of SDAK effects in ice crystals and quantifies the variation in nucleation barriers on different crystal structures.

Findings

Nucleation barrier on basal edge is ten times smaller than on large basal facet.

SDAK effects are crucial in determining ice crystal morphologies.

Results support the role of structure-dependent kinetics in atmospheric snow formation.

Abstract

We present experimental data demonstrating the presence of structure-dependent attachment kinetics (SDAK) in ice crystal growth from water vapor near -5 C. Specifically, we find that the nucleation barrier on the basal edge of a thin-walled hollow columnar crystal is approximately ten times smaller than the corresponding nucleation barrier on a large basal facet. These observations support the hypothesis that SDAK effects play an important role in determining the growth morphologies of atmospheric ice crystals as a function of temperature.