Molecular Dynamics Studies of the Low-Temperature Amorphous Soft-Core Systems

Using molecular dynamics techniques for canonical ensemble systems, the low-temperature properties of amorphous systems of the soft-core model (inverse 12th power potential) have been studied. The systems were prepared by rapid quenching of a liquid sample consisting of 256 particles arranged in a computational cell with periodic boundaries. The characteristics of the resulting structural properties are found to be similar to those commonly observed in amorphous solids. An analytic equation of state is proposed for the amorphous state at temperatures below the freezing point. Configurational thermodynamic properties are calculated from this, and their significance is discussed.