Cluster evolution in the rapid cooling process of Cu–Ag melts under high pressure: Molecular-dynamics simulation

Molecular-dynamics simulations have been used to study the local structure evolution and the glass formation in the Cu40Ag60 melts rapidly cooled under high pressures. With the increase of pressures, the glass forming ability of alloy is improved. Our simulation results reveal that more compacted local structure with more ideal icosahedra than defected icosahedra is obtained. Both the annihilation of the free volume of the system and the increase of the number of the ideal icosahedra under high pressures contribute to the glass formation of the Cu40Ag60 alloy.