Liquid nucleation at superheated grain boundaries

Grain boundaries with relatively low energies can be superheated above the melting temperature and eventually melt by heterogeneous nucleation of liquid droplets. We propose a thermodynamic model of this process based on the sharp-interface approximation with a disjoining potential. The distinct feature of the model is its ability to predict the shape and size of the critical nucleus by using a variational approach. The model reduces to the classical nucleation theory in the limit of large nuclei but is more general and remains valid for small nuclei. Contrary to the classical nucleation theory, the model predicts the existence of a critical temperature of superheating and offers a simple formula for its calculation. The model is tested against molecular dynamic simulations in which liquid nuclei at a superheated boundary were obtained by an adiabatic trapping procedure. The simulation results demonstrate a reassuring consistency with the model.