Substrate induced crystallization of amorphous solid water at low temperatures

We show that N-2 monolayer desorption from ice surfaces is a quantitative, highly sensitive method for following the surface crystallization kinetics at low temperatures. Vapor deposited water films on a crystalline ice substrate exhibit amorphous growth at temperatures below similar to 110 K. The rate of crystallization for these amorphous films is dramatically accelerated compared to the rate of crystallization observed for the amorphous films deposited directly on Pt(111). We find that the crystalline ice substrate acts as a two-dimensional nucleus for the growth of the crystalline phase, thereby accelerating the crystallization kinetics. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(99)70212-6].