Understanding liquid structures

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Abstract
It has often been said that 'the structure factors of all liquids (and glasses) look the same'. Those working in the field know that there is a certain truth to this, as many of the basic features are determined by hard sphere packing. However they also know that there are differences, sometimes subtle, which depend on details of the bonding and local structural arrangement. The initial requirement for understanding these details is an accurate experimental measurement. This is not a trivial task, but even when it has been done the interpretation of the structure factor(s) or radial distribution function(s) often only use gross features such as peak positions and coordination numbers. This approach makes poor use of the data obtained and it can be misleading. RMC is a method of structural modelling which is based on the experimental data and so makes full use of all the available information. The ability to create a three-dimensional model leads to a greater understanding of the relationship between structure and structure factor, independent of their relationship to the interatomic potential.

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