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Kyle Stevenso
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Bit of an odd one here, perhaps, but I'm hoping to get some back-of-the-envelope concept of how quickly a water channel that was melted into a block of -170 degree water ice would re-freeze. It's similar to trying to determine what would happen if I went ice-fishing on a comet in deep space -- would a 3' wide hole freeze back solid in just a few minutes, or would it take much longer? And if the hole / tunnel is increased to 6' wide, does it take four times as long? I realize much depends on the amount of water surface area in contact with the super-cooled ice -- which depends on the diameter of the tunnel -- but this is countered by the heat retention of the column of liquid ice, which is greater when the volume (and diameter) are greater. Trying to get even an order-of-magnitude estimate but my skills are failing me. Any help is immensely appreciated!