EQUILIBRIUM SHAPES OF CRYSTALS NEAR THE TRIPLE POINT

The Wulff construction for the equilibrium shape of a crystal, being in coexistence with its vapor, is applied to a situation very near the triple point where the liquid phase becomes thermodynamically stable, too. This is particularly interesting if some planes of the crystal melt and other ones do not. In this case, it is found that the equilibrium shape exhibits liquid lenses on the crystal which match with a finite angle to the crystalline part. The results are compared with recent equilibrium shape measurements of lead crystallites. © 1990.