Nanothermomechanics

Abstract

The paper concerns the dependence of thermomechanical properties of three-dimensional solid nanoclusters on the cluster size as well as on its shape. Investigations are restricted to the class of so-called homogeneous thermodynamic processes with kinematics based on affine group and referred to the one whole body, not an infinite system of subbodies. It is shown that then the thermodynamics of nanoclusters is consistent with dynamics of affinely-rigid bodies (constrained or not and elastic as well as admitting viscosity effects). The main discussed top-ics are: (i) a group-theoretical description of structurally stable solid nanoclusters; (ii) a phe-nomenological model of mechanical properties of nanoclusters revealing the coexistence of solid and liquid states in a finite interval of absolute temperature.