Models of melting and liquid structure based on rotationally free atomic clusters Original Research Article

Atomistic models, describing the melting process of crystalline materials and the resultant liquid state, have been developed. With an increase in temperature, the inter-atomic distance of a crystal is suggested to fluctuate by the wave-like behavior of lattice vibration. At the melting point, the crystal is divided into numerous atomic clusters and the rotational symmetry of the atoms is broken. The model is adequate for describing the first-order phase transition characteristic of the melting process, which shows an abrupt increase in volume. The liquid state can, therefore, be defined as an assemblage of temporary atomic clusters. The atoms have no long-range order due to the rotational freedom of the clusters.