Stability, structure, and melting of copper clusters

This paper presents a short overview of simulation studies of the stability, structure, and melting of copper clusters. The clusters studied range in size from a few atoms up to of the order 200000 atoms. It is shown how the properties for small clusters are dominated by the electronic shell structure, while for the very large cluster a regime is reached where it is possible to make contact to a macroscopic continuum description. In the initial stage of the melting process the larger clusters exhibit formation of socalled liquid lenses at the surface, where some facets are premelted while facets with a different symmetry remain solid.