2001/04/12 by Olivier Pierre-Louis, O. Pierre-Louis
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Material Dynamics and Properties #Theoretical and Computational Physics #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #cond-mat.stat-mech #nanoparticles nucleation surface interactions
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.87.106104
Submitted to Phys.Rev.Lett
arxiv created 2001/04/12 · openalex publication_date 2001/08/21 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
High and low temperature relaxation of crystal steps are described in a unified picture, using a continuum model based on a modified expression of the step-free energy. Results are in agreement with experiments and Monte Carlo simulations of step fluctuations and monolayer cluster diffusion and relaxation. In an extended model where mass exchange with neighboring terraces is allowed, step transparency and a low temperature regime for unstable step meandering are found.