Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1816229 Physica B: Condensed Matter 2007 13 Pages PDF
Abstract

Magnetic field texturing has already shown the possible existence of intrinsic solid nuclei above the melting temperature Tm. The transfer of Δn conduction electrons equalizing the Fermi energies of a particle containing n free electrons and the melt creates an interface electrostatic energy −εv per volume unit that stabilizes tiny crystals above Tm; they act as growth nuclei reducing the undercooling ratio θ=(T−Tm)/Tm. The observed θ values and the effective dimensionless surface energies (α1ls)eff of 38 elements are used to calculate −εv which is added to the Gibbs free energy change associated to a crystal formation. The εv values are equal to 0.217(1−2.5θ2) multiplied by ΔHm/Vm the melting heat per volume unit. After melting these crystals above Tm2=1.20Tm, θ could tend to the universal value −2/3. A simple formula based on the εv values is predicting the linear decrease of Δn/n with θ and its disappearance for θ0=−0.63. The free volume ΔVm/Vm and εv also disappear for θ=−0.63 when ΔVm/Vm is equal to Δn/n. The surviving crystal radius is determined by a liquid droplet nucleation model in overheated crystals. A higher stability of tiny crystals is predicted from θ=0 to θc. The strain energy density determines 0 <θc⪡+0.2.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Physics and Astronomy Condensed Matter Physics
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