Physics explained triangular snow

U.S. physicists have found the reason for the prevalence of triangular Snowflakes in nature. Article scientists have not yet accepted for publication, but its preprint available at arxiv.org.

In terms of crystallography is the most natural form of Snowflakes, which owns the "hexagonal" symmetry. At the same time, however, the widespread nature of triangular snowflakes (various forms of Snowflakes can see here). The reasons for this until recently remained unclear.

As part of scientists presented a quantitative assessment of various factors on the growth of snowflake. According to physicists, two key parameters: the dynamics of diffusion of water molecules in the air and dynamic behavior of the same molecules on the surface of the crystal.

Physics were able to establish that these parameters directly determined by an air stream surrounding the snowflake. In particular, they calculate how perturbations of the air flow from one side of snowflakes vli yayet its form. The theoretical predictions by scientists tested using a special "Snow machines - cameras, which can control the growth of the Snowflakes.

The result revealed that the triangular snowflakes is stable, ie perturbations of the flow does not suggest to change the form snowflakes. It was this, according to scientists, explains the prevalence of triangular Snowflakes.

More recently, scientists from the UK managed to get a pentagonal "snow". They roztashuvaly thin thread of ice on the surface of copper. These fibers water molecules located at the top of the pentagon.

Tags: physics,scientists