Solid-Angle Nearest-Neighbor Method for Size-Disperse Systems of Spheres

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Varela-Rosales, Nydia Roxana, Engel, Michael
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Varela-Rosales, Nydia Roxana
Engel, Michael
author_facet Varela-Rosales, Nydia Roxana
Engel, Michael
contents Identifying nearest neighbors accurately is essential in particle-based simulations, from analyzing local structure to detecting phase transitions. While parameter-free methods such as Voronoi tessellation and the solid-angle nearest-neighbor (SANN) algorithm are effective in monodisperse systems, they become less reliable in mixtures with large size disparities. We introduce SANNR, a generalization of SANN that incorporates particle radii into the solid-angle criterion for robust, size-sensitive neighbor detection. We compare SANNR against Voronoi, Laguerre, and SANN in binary and size-disperse sphere mixtures. Using Wasserstein distance metrics, we show that SANNR closely matches size-aware Laguerre tessellation while preserving the geometric continuity of SANN. Applied to the crystallization of the complex AB$_{13}$ phase, SANNR improves detection of local bond-orientational order and better captures the emergence of global symmetry. SANNR thus offers a smooth, parameter-free, and extensible framework for neighbor detection in polydisperse and multicomponent systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_11220
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Solid-Angle Nearest-Neighbor Method for Size-Disperse Systems of Spheres
Varela-Rosales, Nydia Roxana
Engel, Michael
Soft Condensed Matter
Computational Physics
Identifying nearest neighbors accurately is essential in particle-based simulations, from analyzing local structure to detecting phase transitions. While parameter-free methods such as Voronoi tessellation and the solid-angle nearest-neighbor (SANN) algorithm are effective in monodisperse systems, they become less reliable in mixtures with large size disparities. We introduce SANNR, a generalization of SANN that incorporates particle radii into the solid-angle criterion for robust, size-sensitive neighbor detection. We compare SANNR against Voronoi, Laguerre, and SANN in binary and size-disperse sphere mixtures. Using Wasserstein distance metrics, we show that SANNR closely matches size-aware Laguerre tessellation while preserving the geometric continuity of SANN. Applied to the crystallization of the complex AB$_{13}$ phase, SANNR improves detection of local bond-orientational order and better captures the emergence of global symmetry. SANNR thus offers a smooth, parameter-free, and extensible framework for neighbor detection in polydisperse and multicomponent systems.
title Solid-Angle Nearest-Neighbor Method for Size-Disperse Systems of Spheres
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Computational Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.11220