Abstract
Figuring out the mechanism of ice nucleation on charged aerosols or in thunderstorms is of fundamental importance in atmospheric science. However, findings on whether the electric field promotes or suppresses heterogeneous ice nucleation are conflicting. In this work, we design an apparatus and test the influence of the electric field on ice nucleation by freezing a series of deionized water droplets resting on solid surfaces with an electric field perpendicular to the substrates. Results show that ice nucleation is obviously promoted under the electric field and is independent of the field direction. Theoretic analyses show that the promotion is due to the reduction of Gibbs free energy which can be partially rationalized by the electric field sustained in the electric double layer at the solid-water interface, with strength about two orders higher than that of the external electric field. Moreover, water-droplet deformation under the electric field is not expected to be the cause of the ice-nucleation promotion.
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