Solid-liquid transition described by the particle method

In recent years, the method of mesoparticles has proved to offer an effecti ve approach to discretization and modeling of the mechanical behavior in va rious systems. However, a principal disadvantage of these methods is the in ability to describe systems possessing differential (in particular, small) transverse rigidity. This difficulty can be bypassed using many-particle po tentials instead of the conventional pairwise functions. Proceeding from a two-particle interaction potential of the Lennard-Jones type, we derive an explicit form of the many-particle (temperature-dependent) potential capabl e of describing systems with arbitrarily small (up to zero) transverse rigi dity, while retaining all other advantages of the particle method. A partic ular form of the many-particle dissipative function is proposed possessing the general symmetry properties. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka / Interperiodica".