Prewetting transitions of Ar and Ne on alkali metal surfaces

TL;DR

This study uses density-functional calculations to analyze the wetting behavior of argon and neon on alkali metal surfaces, revealing prewetting transitions and mapping their phase diagrams.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed theoretical analysis of prewetting transitions for Ar and Ne on Li and Na surfaces using ab-initio potentials.

Findings

Prewetting transitions observed in all systems studied.

Wetting phase diagrams successfully calculated.

Reliable ab-initio potentials used for modeling interactions.

Abstract

We have studied by means of Density-Functional calculations the wetting properties of Ar and Ne adsorbed on a plane whose adsorption properties simulate the Li and Na surfaces. We use reliable ab-initio potentials to model the gas-substrate interactions. Evidence for prewetting transitions is found for all the systems investigated and their wetting phase diagrams are calculated.