Surface melting and crystal shape

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Abstract
In order to explain recent experiments of Heyraud et al. on lead crystallites, some speculations are put forward concerning the effect of surface melting on facet formation. Starting from a nonwetted facet, the appearance of steps on a vicinal surface can induce wetting — hence surface melting. The matching of the facet to round parts is then angular. Facet size and matching angle both depend on temperature : various possibilites are envisaged. Above melting, a liquid « lens » may appear between two dry facets. Assuming that facet melting is not nucleated at the contact with such a lens, one may calculate the stability of such a structure, thereby accounting for the observed superheating of the crystal

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