Premelting-Induced Smoothening of the Ice-Vapor Interface

TL;DR

This study uses computer simulations to show how premelting causes the ice-vapor interface to become smooth at large scales, influencing ice crystallite morphology.

Contribution

It reveals the scale-dependent behavior of the ice-vapor interface, demonstrating coupling at long wavelengths leading to smoothening, which was not previously understood.

Findings

At small wavelengths, the ice-water and water-vapor interfaces behave independently.

At long wavelengths, the interfaces couple, inhibiting large-scale fluctuations.

The ice-vapor interface becomes smooth due to premelting effects.

Abstract

We perform computer simulations of the quasiliquid layer of ice formed at the ice-vapor interface close to the ice Ih-liquid-vapor triple point of water. Our study shows that the two distinct surfaces bounding the film behave at small wavelengths as atomically rough and independent ice-water and water-vapor interfaces. For long wavelengths, however, the two surfaces couple, large scale parallel fluctuations are inhibited, and the ice-vapor interface becomes smooth. Our results could help explain the complex morphology of ice crystallites.