SUPERHEATING OF COATED CLUSTERS

We show by simulation that coated clusters can be superheated above their internal pressure-corrected thermodynamic melting points. The work involves molecular-dynamics simulations of Lennard-Jones systems with coatings of differing strength of interaction. Reference is made to full thermodynamic analyses of the one- and two-component phase diagrams. Two mechanisms, depending upon coating thickness, are identified for this enhanced stability.