Radial correlation functions of metallic melts calculated from structural models of the liquid state

Abstract

Abstract Two models for the possible structure of metallic melts are proposed which were suggested by a dislocation theory of melting and connect the atomic structure of the liquid to that of the solid phase. One of the models is based on planar order such that the preferred plane has the order of the most prominent slip plane of the corresponding crystal. In the other model, linear order is assumed with the order of atomic rows parallel to the preferred direction taken to be the order of the atomic rows parallel to the preferred slip direction in the solid. Radial correlation functions are computed from both of the models for molten lead, sodium, thallium, mercury, indium and tin, and are compared with the corresponding experimental radial distribution functions. In each case, excepting tin, good agreement is found for at least one of the models.