New perspectives on freezing and melting

Over the past decade, new theoretical and experimental techniques have greatly advanced our understanding of the transition between liquid and crystalline phases. Theoretical methods have been developed that view crystallization from the liquid side, in contrast to the traditional lattice-instability theories of melting. Experiments have revealed the ordering of colloidal particles suspended in solution and the disordering of surface layers of crystals, giving direct information about the mechanisms of freezing and melting.