Growth morphology of sodium fluorosilicate crystals and its analysis in base of relative growth rates

The effect of growth conditions on the growth morphology of ice analogue crystals (sodium fluorosilcate) has been studied. The results show that sodium fluorosilicate crystals can replicate most of habits typical for atmospheric ice crystals: hexagonal columns, hexagonal plates, stellar and sectored plates, simple stars, stellar and radiating dendrites. Many twin crystals and, unusual for ice, dog bone crystals have also been observed. It seems that from these habits, only hexagonal columns and plates are single crystals. The growth of these two kinds of single crystals is analysed from theoretical point of view in base of relative growth rates.