A theoretical determination of the capture efficiency of small columnar ice crystals by large cloud drops.

Abstract

A theoretical model has been formulated to study by numerical techniques the efficiency E with which columnar ice crystals grown at temperatures between -3 and -8oC are captured in a cloud by relatively large, supercooled cloud drops. It is found that a water drop of given size collects columnar ice crystals with an efficiency which decreases with decreasing length L of the crystal, with increasing length-to-diameter ratio L/D, and with decreasing bulk density pc of the crystal. -from Authors