Local Alignment Order in Isotropic Structure of Hard Spherical Discs

Abstract

We performed isobaric Monte Carlo simulation of hard disc-like particles called spherical discs. Shape of spherical discs is determined by a sweep of the center of sphere of radius L on a disc of radius D. Simulations of pressure decreasing and increasing processes of 480 spherical discs of D/L = 5 indicated that ordered phase of hexagonal columns of discs melted into isotropic phase without showing nematic structure. Results indicate that local column structure continuously grows in global isotropic structure.