Melting as a homogeneously nucleated process within crystals undergoing superheating

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated superheating and melt ing behaviors of homogeneous crystals, coated particles and confined ultra- thin films. Upon heating, melting is found to occur homogeneously and is in itiated by liquid nuclei. Defect generation and subsequent accumulation due to the local lattice instability within a hot crystal can induce those liq uid embryos. For those confined fine particles or thin films, size-dependen t superheating can be predicted based on the classical theory of homogeneou s nucleation.