Dynamic Behavior of a Quasi-Liquid Layer on the Ice Surface

Dynamic Behavior of a Quasi-Liquid Layer on the Ice Surface 

The temperatures at which a-QLLs and thin layers appeared varied from —1.5 to —0.5°C and from —1.0 to —0.1°C, respectively. Different experimental runs exhibited different appearance temperatures. However, in the same run, the thin layers always appeared at a higher temperature than that at which a-QLLs appeared, and we never obtained an opposite result. 

Elbaum et al. [32] measured the thickness of QLLs and observed the asperity ofice crystal surfaces by ellipsometry and optical interference microscopy, respectively. They reported that as temperature increased, QLLs first appeared homogeneously on ice basal faces and the thickness of QLLs increased, and then after the thickness 

On ice crystal surfaces, -QLLs showed a much flatter shape than that of a-QLLs, indicating that 3-QLLs had higher wettability (more favorable interaction, i.e., smaller interfacial free energy) with the ice crystal surface than did a-QLLs. 

This result contradicts the higher appearance temperature of fS-QLLs compared to that of a-QLLs. To resolve this contradiction, further understanding of the physicochemical properties of a- and 3-QLLs wiU be necessary. 

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