Ice formation on surfaces enhanced via a non-classical nucleation process

Phys.org  August 17, 2021 Understanding the process of ice formation can decelerate the rate at which glaciers melt and sea levels rise and alleviate other major environmental concerns. To better understand the non-classical nucleation theories researchers at the University of Hong Kong combined Markov State Models (MSMs) and transition path theory (TPT) to identify intermediate states of disordered ice mixtures and compare parallel pathways (classical vs. non-classical). This advantage helped unravel the underlying mechanisms of non-classical nucleation processes and the co-existence of the two pathways. They showed that the disordered mixing of ice stabilizes the critical nucleus and makes the […]