Studies of Heterogeneous Nucleation of Ice in Thin Films

密歇根理工大学的威尔·坎特雷尔教授得到了分析和表面化学项目以及物理气象学项目的支持，以研究颗粒物成核冰的分子尺度机制。两类外来物质（有机膜和不溶性固体表面）被采用作为一种方式，询问的相对作用的应变调节和晶体缺陷的成核过程。所提出的实验旨在探讨经典成核理论的假设，如所发挥的作用，由临界embrio，成核的基板形态和结构化的水分子在界面区域的作用的影响。红外光谱法将以衰减全反射或衰减内反射光谱法的变体形式使用。 研究生和本科生将接受这一涉及化学，物理学和大气科学的跨学科研究领域的教育。气溶胶粒子上或气溶胶粒子内的冰形成仍然是大气中最缺乏了解的现象之一。更好的理解将有助于更好地预测降水以及大气气溶胶变化对云和气候的影响。 这个长期存在的问题需要仔细的实验，再加上先进的理论来充分解决它。

Professor Will Cantrell of the Michigan Technological University is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program and the Physical Meteorology Program to investigate the molecular-scale mechanisms responsible for the nucleation of ice by particulates. Two classes of foreign substances are to be employed (organic films and insoluble solid surfaces) as a way of interrogating the relative roles of strain accommodation and crystalline defects in the nucleation process. The proposed experiments are designed to probe assumptions of classical nucleation theory such as the role played by the critical embrio, the effect on nucleation of the substrate morphology and the role of structured water molecules in the interfacial region. Infrared spectroscopy will be used in the form of attenuated total reflectance or a variant, attenuated internal reflection, spectroscopy. Graduate and undergraduate students will be educated this interdisciplinary research area involving chemistry, physics and atmospheric science.Ice formation on or within aerosol particles remains as one of the most poorly understood phenomena in the atmosphere. An improved understanding will allow better predictions of precipitation and the effects of changes in atmospheric aerosols on clouds and climate. This long-standing problem will require careful experimentation coupled with advanced theory to adequately address it.