Crystal nucleation for a model of globular proteins

Abstract

A continuum model of globular proteins proposed by Talanquer and Oxtoby (J. Chem. Phys. vol. 109, p. 223 (1998)) is investigated numerically, with particular emphasis on the region near the metastable fluid-fluid coexistence curve. Classical nucleation theory is shown to be invalid not only in the vicinity of the metastable critical point but also close to the liquidus line. An approximate analytic solution is also presented for the shape and properties of the nucleating crystal droplet.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figure