Abstract
We 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.
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Courtemanche, D.J., van Swol, F. Wetting of a Smooth Substrate by Crystal. MRS Online Proceedings Library 237, 73–78 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-237-73
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-237-73