Abstract: We report on a molecular dynamics study of small classical two-dimensional clusters with ringlike configurations. We focus on the particles motion at low temperatures before the radial and angular melting sets in. It is shown that in magic number configurations a local radial melting of subshells occur, which is related to the intershell rotation.

Abstract: A theoretical model is presented for the description of the metal-insulator transition which accompanies the structural phase transition at T approximate to 50 K in polymerized KC60. The model involves orientational charge density waves (along the C-60 polymer chains) which were introduced previously for a description of the structural phase transition. A satisfactory qualitative and quantitative understanding is obtained when the three-dimensionality of the crystal and the presence of the K+ counterions is properly taken into account.

Abstract: We studied theoretically the effect of time symmetric and asymmetric electromagnetic (e.m.) radiation on the phase-slip process in superconducting wires in the regime where there is no stimulation of superconductivity. We found that for large amplitudes j(ac) of the symmetric ac signal the value of the lower critical current j(c1)(j(ac)) at which the voltage vanishes in the sample oscillates as a function of j(ac). The amplitude of these oscillations decays with increasing power of the ac signal, and we explain it either by the existence of a maximal current j(c3) beyond which no phase slips can be created or by a weak heat removal from the sample. Applying an asymmetric in time signal (with zero dc current) we show that it may lead to a finite voltage in the system (i.e., ratchet effect). At high enough frequencies the rectified voltage is directly proportional to the frequency of the applied e.m. radiation. These properties resemble in many aspects the behavior of a Josephson junction under e.m. radiation. The differences are mainly connected to the effect of the transport current on the magnitude of the order parameter.

Abstract: The thermal properties of a two-dimensional classical cluster of negatively charged particles bound by a punctual positive charge are presented. The melting phenomenon is analyzed and the features which characterize such a solid-liquid transition are highlighted. We found that the presence of metastable states strongly modifies the melting scenario, and that the melting temperature of the system is determined by the height of the saddle point energy separating the ground state and the metastable state. Due to the particular type of confinement potential considered in this paper, we also found that, at sufficiently large temperature, the cluster can become thermally ionized.