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A computationally efficient description of heterogeneous freezing: A simplified version of the Soccer ball model
Author(s) -
Niedermeier Dennis,
Ervens Barbara,
Clauss Tina,
Voigtländer Jens,
Wex Heike,
Hartmann Susan,
Stratmann Frank
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2013gl058684
Subject(s) - nucleation , ice nucleus , statistical physics , gaussian , monte carlo method , probability density function , population , classical nucleation theory , computer science , physics , mathematics , thermodynamics , chemistry , statistics , computational chemistry , demography , sociology
In a recent study, the Soccer ball model (SBM) was introduced for modeling and/or parameterizing heterogeneous ice nucleation processes. The model applies classical nucleation theory. It allows for a consistent description of both apparently singular and stochastic ice nucleation behavior, by distributing contact angles over the nucleation sites of a particle population assuming a Gaussian probability density function. The original SBM utilizes the Monte Carlo technique, which hampers its usage in atmospheric models, as fairly time‐consuming calculations must be performed to obtain statistically significant results. Thus, we have developed a simplified and computationally more efficient version of the SBM. We successfully used the new SBM to parameterize experimental nucleation data of, e.g., bacterial ice nucleation. Both SBMs give identical results; however, the new model is computationally less expensive as confirmed by cloud parcel simulations. Therefore, it is a suitable tool for describing heterogeneous ice nucleation processes in atmospheric models.