Mechanism for ice growth on the surface of a spherical water droplet

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.111.075426
• Publication Date: 2025-02-21T16:28:12Z
• Authors: Yang Li; Prachi Parashar; Iver Brevik; Clas Persson; O. I. Malyi; Mathias Boström
• Keywords: Condensed Matter - Materials Science; Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech); Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci); FOS: Physical sciences; Condensed Matter - Statistical Mechanics

The formation and growth of ice particles, particularly on the surfaces of spherical water droplets, bear profound implications for localized weather systems and global climate. Herein, we develop a theoretical framework for ice nucleation on minuscule water droplets, establishing that $10\sim5000\rm\ nm$ droplets can considerably increase in volume, making a substantial contribution to ice formation within mist, fog, or even cloud systems. We reveal that the Casimir-Lifshitz (van der Waals) interaction within these systems is robust enough to stimulate both water and ice growth on the surfaces of ice-cold spherical water droplets. The significant impacts and possible detectable phenomena from the curvature are demonstrated.