Observation of Surface Melting

Transport and diffusion on crystalline surfaces under external forces

“…This interest lies in the extensive range of important physical applications that include Josephson junctions [13,14], superionic conductors [15], adsorbates on crystal surfaces [16], colloidal spheres [17] and polymers diffusing at interfaces [18] among many others [19]. A constant external force produces a so-called 'tilted potential' or 'tilted washboard potential', and the further addition of a periodic force gives rise to the 'rocked tilted potential'.…”

The physics of premelted ice and its geophysical consequences

“…II.A͒. Although the approximation is strictly valid for melt layer thicknesses greater than the interface width, the theory in some cases can provide a moderately successful description of the quasiliquid down to thicknesses of one or two layers ͑Frenken and van der Veen, 1985;Zhu and Dash, 1986͒. Further connections between surface melting and the bulk transition are discussed in a recent review ͑Dash, 2002͒, the role of surface melting on crystal growth is discussed in Sec. IV.E, and the closely related issue of surface roughening is discussed presently.…”

Nanoparticle Structure by Coherent X-ray Diffraction

“…Facets can disappear altogether at a critical temperature called the roughening transition. 27,28) The structure of larger nanoparticles can be considered as an extension of this ideal, macroscopic bulk situation, once the strain due to the surface stress is introduced. While the surface free energy depends largely on temperature, the stress depends on the chemical state of the crystal surface and its environment, through contacts with neighbouring particles, substrates, solvents, surfactant layers, etc.…”