2D melting via two KT transitions: Solid → Hexatic → Liquid
Phase: Crystalline Solid
Temperature T/T_KT10.30
Particles N100
Animation speed1.0
KTHNY theory (Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young) predicts 2D melting through two continuous transitions mediated by topological defects.
KT1 (T_m): dislocation pairs unbind → positional order lost, but bond-orientational order ψ₆ = ⟨e^{i6θ}⟩ survives → hexatic phase.
KT2 (T_i): disclination pairs unbind → hexatic order lost → isotropic liquid.
Color encodes local ψ₆ bond-orientational order (bright = ordered, dark = disordered).