Why does the second peak of pair correlation functions split in quasi-two-dimensional disordered films?

Abstract

Molecular dynamics simulation has been performed to study the splitting of the second peak in pair correlation functions of quasi-two-dimensional disordered film. A quasi-two-dimensional inhomogeneous structural model, which contains both crystal-like and disordered regions, supports the hypothesis that the splitting of the second peak is result of a statistical average of crystal-like and disordered structural regions in the system, not just the amorphous structure. The second-peak splitting can be viewed as a prototype of the crystal-like peak exhibiting distorted and vestigial features.