Formation and Magic Number Characteristics of Cluster Configurations During Rapid Cooling Processes of Liquid Metals

Abstract

A molecular dynamic simulation study has been performed for a large-sized system consisting of 106 liquid metal Al atoms to deeply investigate the formation and magic number characteristics of various cluster formed during solidification processes. It has been found that the numbers of various types of cluster in the system obviously possess peak values, namely, magic numbers. The first, second, third, .…,and tenth magic numbers are determined in turn in the order of 13, 19, 25(27), 31(33), 38(40), 42(45), 48(51), 55(59), 61(65), 67,…( the numbers in the brackets are the second peak values in the corresponding level of cluster). This magic number serial is in good agreement with the experimental results obtained by Harris et al, and this method determining the magic numbers from the clusters according to the level of basic cluster can be used to afford a primary scientific and reasonable explanation to experimental results.