Negative heat capacity of Ar55 cluster

The solid–liquid phase transitions of Ar₅₅ cluster was simulated by the microcanonical molecular dynamics and microcanonical parallel tempering methods using Lennard–Jones potential, and thermodynamic quantities were calculated. The caloric curve of cluster has S-bend. To understand this behaviour, configurational and total entropies were evaluated, and the dents on the entropy curves were noticed as the sign of negative heat capacity. The heat capacities were evaluated by using configurational entropy data. The potential energy distributions have bimodal behaviour in the given range at the melting temperature. At the same time by using configurational entropy canonical caloric curve and canonical heat capacity were calculated. To obtain entropy change upon melting, total entropy were calculated from the caloric curve. The microcanonical results melting temperature, latent heat and entropy change upon melting values were reported and compared with the values reported in the literature and the values calculated from the thermodynamic relations offered for bulk matter, consistent values were found.