Five-dimensional imaging of freezing emulsions with solute effects

Abstract

Images frozen in time Freezing processes involving multiple phases are common, as seen in the zone refining used to remove impurities from a crystal through the heating of a narrow region. However, it is difficult to visualize the processes as they happen. Dedovets et al. studied the freezing of an oil-in-water emulsion and the interaction of the oil droplets with the leading edge of the freezing water. In situ visualization of the freezing front was achieved through confocal microscopy of samples on a moving sample holder. The authors tracked the effects of solution concentration on the droplet positions and observed premelting at the interface of the droplets by using fluorescence markers. Science , this issue p. 303