SYMMETRY-BREAKING AND STABILITY OF BINARY CLUSTERS

The minimum energy structures, stability, and symmetry breaking of Len nard-Jones binary clusters have been calculated using the pivot method . We found that the cluster dimer displays distinct symmetry breaking and ''phase changes'' when the interaction between the clusters is dif ferent from that within the clusters. The zero temperature phase diagr am shows first-order phase transitions between a phase with symmetry o f the cluster dimer to phases with symmetry of the giant cluster. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.