Two-dimensional melting
- 1 January 1988
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Reviews of Modern Physics
- Vol. 60 (1), 161-207
- https://doi.org/10.1103/revmodphys.60.161
Abstract
For a decade now the subject of the nature of the two-dimensional melting transition has remained controversial. An elegant theory based on the unbinding of pairs of crystal defects suggested that two-dimensional solids might melt by a transition sequence involving two continuous transitions separated by a novel, nearest-neighbor-bond-orientationally ordered fluid—the hexatic phase. Competing theories predict that the transition is of the usual first-order type observed in three-dimensional systems. This paper is a critical review of the current status of research into the problem of two-dimensional melting, with an emphasis on computer simulations. An attempt is made to point out unresolved issues pertaining to this fascinating and still open question.Keywords
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