On the Formation of Thin Ice Crystal Plates: A New Type of Morphological Instability in Diffusion-Limited Growth

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new morphological instability mechanism in diffusion-limited crystal growth, explaining the formation of thin ice plates near -15°C and suggesting similar behaviors in other crystalline materials.

Contribution

It proposes a novel instability model based on facet-dependent attachment kinetics, reconciling conflicting ice growth measurements and predicting new growth behaviors.

Findings

Identifies a morphology-dependent increase in condensation coefficient for ice prism facets.

Explains the formation of thin ice plates at specific temperatures.

Suggests similar instabilities may occur in other crystalline materials.

Abstract

We propose a new type of morphological instability in the diffusion-limited growth of faceted crystals from the vapor phase that can explain the formation of thin ice plates at temperatures near -15 C. The instability appears when the attachment kinetics for facet growth depends strongly on the morphology of the facet surface. In particular, we propose that the condensation coefficient for growth of ice prism facets increases dramatically when the width of the facet approaches atomic dimensions. This model reconciles several conflicting measurements of ice crystal growth, and makes additional predictions for future growth experiments. Other faceted crystalline materials may exhibit similar morphological instabilities that promote the diffusion-limited growth of thin plate-like or needle-like crystal structures.