Structure and Fragmentation in Colloidal Artificial Molecules and Nuclei

TL;DR

This paper simulates 2D colloidal systems with competing interactions, revealing diverse fragmentation behaviors and stable cluster formations, which can serve as models for artificial nuclei.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation of colloidal systems with tunable interactions, demonstrating fragmentation phenomena and the influence of 'magic' cluster sizes, advancing understanding of soft matter artificial nuclei.

Findings

Stable clusters depend on attractive interaction strength.

Fragmentation behavior varies with interaction parameters.

'Magic' cluster numbers influence stability and fragmentation.

Abstract

Motivated by recent experiments on colloidal systems with competing attractive and repulsive interactions, we simulate a two-dimensional system of colloids with competing interactions that can undergo fragmentation. In the absence of any other confining potential, the colloids can form stable clusters depending on the strength of the short range attractive term. By suddenly changing the strength of one of the interaction terms we find a rich variety of fragmentation behavior which is affected by the existence of "magic" cluster numbers. Such soft matter systems can be used to construct artificial nuclei.