Interface control and snow crystal growth

TL;DR

This paper enhances the modeling of snow crystal growth by incorporating interface control through new variables, improving the realism of dendrite and plate formation simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a new geometric rule with interface control variables, extending Reiter's local model for more accurate snow crystal growth representation.

Findings

Model now accounts for interface control in dendrite growth

Improved accuracy in simulating plate and dendrite forms

Provides a more realistic framework for crystallization processes

Abstract

The growth of snow crystals is dependent on the temperature and saturation of the environment. In the case of dendrites, Reiter's local two-dimensional model provides a realistic approach to the study of dendrite growth. In this paper we obtain a new geometric rule that incorporates interface control, a basic mechanism of crystallization that is not taken into account in the original Reiter's model. By defining two new variables, growth latency and growth direction, our improved model gives a realistic model not only for dendrite but also for plate forms.