Summary
The results of a wind tunnel and could chamber investigation on the effect of intense electric fields on ice-nucleation in supercooled water are presented. It is found that electrostatically charged surfaces and externally applied electric fields significantly enhance ice-nucleation. This finding is supported by a review of recent work reported in literature. Several mechanisms are considered which can be made responsible for electrofreezing. A discussion of the electrofreezing effect suggests that it is the electrical relief of the surface of a solid substrate rather than the crystallochemical relief which is the determining factor in heterogeneous ice nucleus formation.
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This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant No. GA-32814
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Pruppacher, H.R. Electrofreezing of supercooled water. PAGEOPH 104, 623–634 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00875907
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00875907