Fig. 5: Schematic representation of how a progressively stronger magnetic agitation could first promote, then inhibit, ice nucleation on magnetite nanoparticles.

A Sham situation. A1 Binding agents (shown as radiating filaments) cover the particle surface as normal, blocking access to water molecules (three-dot objects). A2 Sham reference curve (same in B2 and C2). B Weak field situation. B1 Surface binding agents are disrupted, allowing water molecules access to the crystal surface where ice crystals can nucleate, reducing the supercooling. Oscillations are not strong enough to disrupt ice seed crystals from nucleating. B2 Garlic cloves exposed to this field freeze more easily than the controls, as illustrated by the blue curve lying to the left of the sham control curve. C Strong field situation. C1 Both the binding agent and the water molecules are driven away from the crystal surface. C2 The magnetically treated garlic cloves survive at lower temperatures than the sham controls.