MANY-BODY AND QUANTUM EFFECTS IN THE RADIAL-DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION OF LIQUID NEON AND ARGON

Most simulations of liquids are performed in the framework of classica l mechanics and the approximation of additivity of pair potentials. Be sides errors due to the approximate pair potential, this leads to erro rs due to quantum effects and the neglect of many-body interactions. B y calculating the radial distribution function from pure theory for li quid neon and argon with a quantum effective Wigner-Kirkwood potential and comparison with experiments, it is shown that quantum effects are sizeable for liquid neon at lower temperatures, whereas many-body eff ects are negligible.