Study of the embedded atom method of atomistic calculations for metals and alloys. Final report, March 1, 1986--February 29, 1992

摘要

Solids have been studied by atomistic modeling since the earliest availability of computers for scientific research. By the mid sixties, it was understood that models for metals based on reasonably short ranged two-body forces coupled with a global volume dependent contribution to the crystal energy yielded surprisingly good results for bulk calculations, but were unsatisfactory at surfaces. Little progress was made until the early eighties, when Daw and Baskes developed the Embedded-Atom Method (EAM) based on density functional theory and intended primarily for tight-packed transitional metals, and Finnis and Sinclair developed a model based on tight binding theory and intended primarily for bcc transition metals. The underlying mathematical format of both approaches is the same, and provides an extension of the earlier models through a function which in practice provides a measure of local volume dependence. The primary purpose of this research project was to investigate the implications of this mathematical format and to use the resulting insight to correlate the known physical input data with computed results of properties that are difficult to access experimentally. Embedded-Atom Method terminology is used, but this research is applicable as well to the Finnis-Sinclair model.