Electrical effects during condensation and phase transitions of ice

Abstract

Condensation potentials and corresponding electrical currents are observed during the isothermal growth of amorphous, cubic, and hexagonal ice from the vapor phase. Upon heating of the condensate a thermally stimulated current (TSC) spectrum is observed with the application of any external electric field. Current peaks in the TSC spectrum are shown to be of two types: depolarization currents related to dipolar relaxation processes in the condensate and peaks due to phase transitions. Nearly all depolarization (∼90%) occurs in the amorphous phase via relaxation processes. Shifts in the maximum temperature of the peaks are observed for deuterated water for both types of peaks, and are on the order of 5–10 K. Models are proposed for the electrical effects observed during condensation, phase change, and depolarization.