1 research outputs found
Classical Nucleation Theory of the One-Component Plasma
We investigate the crystallization rate of a one-component plasma (OCP) in
the context of classical nucleation theory. From our derivation of the free
energy of an arbitrary distribution of solid clusters embedded in a liquid
phase, we derive the steady-state nucleation rate of an OCP as a function of
the Coulomb coupling parameter. Our result for the rate is in accord with
recent molecular dynamics simulations, but it is greater than that of previous
analytical estimates by many orders of magnitude. Further molecular dynamics
simulations of the nucleation rate of a supercooled liquid OCP for several
values of the coupling parameter would clarify the physics of this process.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, accepted by PR