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It is known that nature is unable to create the same snowflakes. Each ice crystal, mainly six-beam, has its own unique shape. In the entire history of the existence of our planet from the sky quadrillion snowflakes fell, and the possibility that at least two of them They were identical, tends, according to researchers, to zero. However, this does not mean that two identical snowflakes impossible to get artificially.
So, the American physicist Kenneth Libbrecht, who works in California Institute of Technology, a few months ago it occurred to create a special laboratory for growing snowflakes and try to get two identical ice crystals. The scientist jokes that such work was a real pleasure, and here it could even be done for free, because in California is always hot, that is, it doesn’t fall out at all snow.
Many of us are aware of the process of snowflake formation from school curriculum course. Tiny crystals of frozen water formed inside icy clouds and increase in size over due to the transition of steam to a solid state. Humidity and temperature air have a direct effect on the growth of snowflakes. At In this case, ray crystals continue to form and grow during fall. Each movement of a snowflake leads to a change in shape and symmetry of its rays.
By the way, the largest of the documented snowflakes was discovered in January 1887 during a snowfall in Montana The crystal diameter was about thirty eight centimeters! Usually, snowflakes have a diameter of not more than five centimeters.
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Eliminate unpredictability in the formation of snowflakes
To get two identical snow crystals, Libbrecht eliminated the decisive factor of unpredictability, namely movement. Using his unique laboratory, an American specialist took two so-called “snowflake seeds”, which are microscopic pieces of ice of the same dimensions. Scientist created for them the same temperature conditions and added to each “seed” the same amount of moisture.
The result is two identical in appearance, however snowflakes different in atomic structure. Libbrecht compared them to identical twins who have identical appearance, however different characters.
Experimenting with temperature and humidity, a scientist found that at minus ten degrees Celsius the snowflake takes flower shape with flat petals, at minus two degrees crystals become triangular, and increased humidity provokes the growth of branches on its rays.
Satisfied with the results of his work, the researcher reports: “I didn’t violate any laws of physics, just found interesting loophole. ”
Snow time
