[en] A lattice-Boltzmann method has been developed to incorporate solid-fluid boundary conditions on length scales less than the grid spacing. By introducing a continuous parameter, specified at each node and representing the fluid volume fraction associated with that node, we obtain second-order accuracy for boundaries at arbitrary positions and orientations with respect to the grid. The method does not require surface normals, and can therefore be applied to irregular geometries such as porous media. The new rules conserve mass and momentum, and reduce to the link bounce-back rule at aligned interfaces. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

[en] The near-critical behavior of (d=3)-dimensional Ising-model ferromagnets or simple lattice gases with equivalent first, second, and third nearest-neighbor interactions is studied through Monte Carlo simulations using histogram reweighting techniques and comparisons with series expansions. By carefully analyzing numerical data from relatively small finite systems using scaling and extrapolation methods, it is demonstrated that one can reliably estimate critical exponents, critical temperatures, and universal amplitude ratios, thereby distinguishing convincingly between different ''nearby'' universality classes and revealing systematic crossover effects. This study is preparatory to extending similar techniques to study criticality in continuum fluid models lacking symmetries, with Coulomb interactions, etc. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

[en] Scanning tunneling microscopy is used to monitor the formation and relaxation of nanoprotrusions and nanoindentations at extended step edges following submonolayer deposition of Ag on Ag(100). Deposition of up to about 1/4 ML Ag produces isolated two-dimensional (2D) Ag clusters, which subsequently diffuse, collide, and coalesce with extended step edges, thus forming protrusions. Deposition of larger submonolayer amounts of Ag causes existing step edges to advance across terraces, incorporating 2D islands. The resulting irregular step structure rapidly straightens after terminating deposition, except for a few larger indentations. Relaxation of these far-from-equilibrium step-edge nanoconfigurations is monitored to determine rates for restructuring versus local geometry and feature size. This behavior is analyzed utilizing kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of an atomistic lattice-gas model for relaxation of step-edge nanostructures. In this model, mass transport is mediated by diffusion along the step edge (i.e., ''periphery diffusion''). The model consistently fits observed behavior, and allows a detailed characterization of the relaxation process, including assessment of key activation energies. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society