Molecular dynamics simulations of cluster nucleation during inert gas condensation.

Molecular dynamics simulations of vapor-phase nucleation of germanium in an argon atmosphere were performed and a unexpected channel of nucleation was observed. This channel, vapor-induced cluster splitting, is important for more refractory materials since the critical nucleus size can fall below the size of a dimer. As opposed to conventional direct vapor nucleation of the dimer, which occurs by three-body collisions, cluster-splitting nucleation is a second-order reaction.