Heterogeneous crystallization on tiny clusters

Author(s)
Swetlana Jungblut, Christoph Dellago
Abstract

The crystallization transition of an undercooled monodisperse Lennard-Jones fluid in the presence of small pre-structured seeds is studied with transition interface path sampling combined with molecular dynamics simulations. Compared to the homogeneous crystallization, clusters of 13 particles arranged into a face-centered cubic structure enhance the crystallization rate by one order of magnitude, while icosahedrally ordered seeds do not change the reaction rate at all. We identify two distinct nucleation regimes -close to the seed and in the bulk. Crystallites formed close to the seed attach to it, if it has face-centered cubic structure, and grow around the seed, if its structure is icosahedral.

Organisation(s)
Computational and Soft Matter Physics
Journal
Europhysics Letters
Volume
96
No. of pages
6
ISSN
0295-5075
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/96/56006
Publication date
2011
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
1030 Physics, Astronomy
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/bb01f11f-2973-4705-a3f5-e4b746388918