ANALYSIS OF THE MELTING PROCESS OF THE 14-PARTICLE MORSE CLUSTER THROUGH THE ATOMIC EQUIVALENCE INDEXES

Abstract

In this paper, by using the standard microcanonical molecular-dynamics simulations, the melting processes of the 14-particle Morse clusters are investigated. The three steps melting process found in 2004 by one of the authors of this paper are analyzed further by the atomic equivalence indexes. The properties of the structure of the cluster in different melting processes are explored by the atomic equivalence indexes. It is found that in the melting process for most of the time the cluster keeps the basic structure frame similar to that in the solid-like state while there are very short time periods when the particles of the cluster exchange their locations.