Atomic-level insights into ice melting induced by femtosecond laser energy deposition

JR Song and Y Lu, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS IN HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER, 157, 107802 (2024).

DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2024.107802

As global climate change progresses and polar resource exploration advances, the development of efficient laser de-icing and icebreaking technologies becomes crucial for ensuring the safety and efficiency of polar navigational routes. This research employs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the microscopic mechanisms of ice melting induced by laser energy deposition. The study focuses on analyzing the effects of temperature, laser parameters, gas doping, and strain on the melting times in both the Laser Melting (LM) and Thermal Transport Melting (TM) regions. The results show that an increase in temperature primarily accelerates the melting in the TM region, while an increase in laser energy density speeds up the melting process in both the LM and TM regions. Adjustments to the laser pulse width have particularly significant effects on the LM region. Under conditions of oxygen and nitrogen doping, the melting times for both the LM and TM regions exhibit a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing. Additionally, tensile and compressive strains significantly shorten the melting time in the TM region. These findings provide crucial theoretical support for understanding the behavior of laser-induced de- icing and icebreaking.

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