SKM 2023 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 19: Crystallization, Nucleation and Self-Assembly

CPP 19.8: Talk

Tuesday, March 28, 2023, 11:45–12:00, MER 02

The missing billions in hard sphere nucleation — Sahana Kale, Nidhi Joshi, and •Hans Joachim Schöpe — Universität Tübingen, Institut für angewandte Physik, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen

Crystal nucleation in colloidal hard spheres is a longstanding research topic in colloidal science. Light scattering experiments as well as simulations have been carried out to determine key parameters characterizing the nucleation process and to get a microscopic picture of the fluid to crystal transformation. In these studies, results both differ and agree with each other. It is still unclear whether the large disagreement in the nucleation rate densities between the experiments and simulations are of physical nature or result from different data analyses. Using laser-scanning confocal microscopy and polarization microscopy we study crystal nucleation in colloidal hard spheres. The used systems have been characterized with extreme care to allow for meaningful comparison with other experiments and simulations. We present high quality data of the nucleation rate density and key parameters describing crystal nucleation. Analyzing the nucleation process we conclude that classical nucleation theory fails.