Direct observation of nanocrystals near their melting
temperature using dark-field transmission electron microscopy.
Richard Kofman
Laboratoire de la Physique de la Matiere Condensee,
Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France
It is shown that small crystals approaching their melting
temperature behave differently depending on their size. Crystals
above a critical size of about 7nm exhibit surface melting as a
premelting phenomenon while smaller crystals exhibit structural
instabilities. Video recording of the melting of Pb and Sn crystals
will be presented.