New phase for one-component hard spheres.

A completely new phase for one-component hard spheres is reported in an unexpected region of the phase diagram. The new phase is observed at compressibility factors intermediate between the solid and the metastable branches. It can be obtained from either Monte Carlo simulations alone or a combination of Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics calculations. An analysis of the intermediate scattering function data shows that the new phase is in a stable equilibrium. Radial distribution function data, configurational snapshots, bond order parameters, and translational order parameters obtained from molecular simulations indicate that the new phase is significantly different from the isotropic liquid, metastable, or crystalline phases traditionally observed in hard sphere systems. This result significantly changes our previous understanding of the behavior of hard spheres.