THE EFFECT OF THE RANGE OF THE POTENTIAL ON THE MULTI-STEP CLUSTER MELTING PROCESS

Abstract

By using the microcanonical molecular dynamics simulation, the melting processes of the clusters bound by Morse potential are investigated. It is found that these clusters show a multi-step melting process as long as the range of the Morse potential is a suitable value. The origins of this multi-step process are analyzed. I find that not only the repulsive core of the potential but also the attractive tail range of the potential influences the melting process. Moreover, the occurrence of the multi-step melting process is more sensitive to the tail region of the Morse potential.