Atomistic Characterization of Stochastic Cavitation of a Binary Metallic Liquid under Negative Pressure
Qi An, Glenn Garrett, Konrad Samwer1
1§I. Physik Institute, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
Abstract:
We demonstrate the stochastic nature of cavitation in a binary metallic liquid Cu46Zr54 during hydrostatic expansion by employing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using a quantum mechanics (QM)-derived potential. The activation volume is obtained from MD simulations and transition-state theory. Extrapolation of the pressure dependence of the activation volume from our MD simulations to low tensile pressure agrees remarkably with macroscale cavitation experiments. We find that classical nucleation theory can predict the cavitation rate if we incorporate the Tolman length derived from the MD simulations.
Related Concept Videos
Vapor Pressure of Fluid
When a liquid is placed in a closed container with a small air space, and the space is evacuated, vapor molecules will...
Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble
Pressure Variation in a Fluid at Rest
When measuring pressure at two different levels within the fluid, the difference in...
Steady, Laminar Flow Between Parallel Plates
Deriving the Speed of Sound in a Liquid
The speed of sound in fluids can be derived by considering a mechanical wave...
Pressure of Fluids


