Wetting state of a crystal-fluid system of hard spheres

Abstract

We report on a molecular-dynamics study of the wetting state of a system of hard spheres near a 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 via a partial wetting state to a final arrangement of complete wetting by crystal. This implies that a hard-sphere fluid closely approaching coexistence from below should spontaneously crystallize at a smooth hard wall, contrary to existing beliefs.