Cutting Ice: Nanowire regelation

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Access rights

openAccess
publishedVersion

URL

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

Date

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Language

en

Pages

Series

Physical Review Letters, Volume 105, issue 8, pp. 1-4

Abstract

Even below its normal melting temperature, ice melts when subjected to high pressure and refreezes once the pressure is lifted. A classic demonstration of this regelation phenomenon is the passing of a thin wire through a block of ice when sufficient force is exerted. Here we present a molecular-dynamics study of a nanowire cutting through ice to unravel the molecular level mechanisms responsible for regelation. In particular, we show that the transition from a stationary to a moving wire due to increased driving force changes from symmetric and continuous to asymmetric and discontinuous as a hydrophilic wire is replaced by a hydrophobic one. This is explained at the molecular level in terms of the wetting properties of the wire.

Description

Other note

Citation

Hynninen, T, Heinonen, V, Dias, C L, Karttunen, M, Foster, A S & Ala-Nissila, T 2010, 'Cutting Ice: Nanowire regelation', Physical Review Letters, vol. 105, no. 8, 086102, pp. 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.086102