Wetting of a Smooth Substrate by Crystal

Abstract

AbstractWe report on a molecular dynamics (MD) study of the wetting state of a system of hard spheres near a smooth planar hard wall. A direct simulation at the melting point of a two-phase system between two walls develops all the way from complete wetting by fluid (cos(θ) = 0) via partial wetting state to a final arrangement of complete wetting by crystal (cos(θ) = 1). This implies that a hard sphere fluid spontaneously crystallizes at a smooth hard wall, contrary to existing beliefs.