The Analytical Theory of Bulk Melting II: Variational Method Solution in the FCC Crystal

Abstract

Continuing the arguments in Paper I (arXiv: cond-mat/0405487), we model the temperature dependence of interstitial defects in a surface-free face-centered-cubic (fcc) elemental crystal and obtain the free energy and correlation behavior based on variational methods. We show that the avalanche of interstitial defects is the instability mechanism at the melting point that bridges Lindemann and Born criteria.

15+3 pages, 5+1 figures, 20 diagrams. 1 figure added. 1 figure retouched. 1 table enlarged. Typos corrected. Some cosmetic changes in a few equations. Presentation of the model enriched. No conceptual changes