title: Interacting steps with finite-range interactions: analytical approximation and numerical results.
abstract: We calculate an analytical expression for the terrace-width distribution P(s) for an interacting step system with nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor interactions. Our model is derived by mapping the step system onto a statistically equivalent one-dimensional system of classical particles. The validity of the model is tested with several numerical simulations and experimental results. We explore the effect of the range of interactions q on the functional form of the terrace-width distribution and pair correlation functions. For physically plausible interactions, we find modest changes when next-nearest neighbor interactions are included and generally negligible changes when more distant interactions are allowed. We discuss methods for extracting from simulated experimental data the characteristic scale-setting terms in assumed potential forms.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Universidad de Los Andes, A.A. 4976 Bogotá, Colombia. df.jaramillo326@uniandes.edu.co
authors.forename: Diego Felipe
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Jaramillo
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Téllez
authors.forename: Diego Luis
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Einstein
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular