Heterophasic oscillations in nanoscale systems.
Both the energy differences between metastable and stable phases and the energy barriers separating these phases decrease with decreasing particle number. Then, for small enough systems, random heterophasic fluctuations of the entire system become an observable form of thermal motion. We discuss mechanisms and observation conditions for these random transitions between phases.
Patashinski
Alexander
A
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. a-patashinski@northwestern.edu
Ratner
Mark
M