Abstract
Despite extensive investigation using hydrodynamic models and experiments over the past decades, there
remain open questions regarding the origin of the initial rupture of thin liquid films. One of the reasons that makes it
difficult to identify the rupture origin is the coexistence of two dewettingmechanisms, namely, thermal nucleation
and spinodal instability, as observed in many experimental studies. Using a coarse-grained model and large-scale
molecular dynamics simulations, we are able to characterize the very early stage of dewetting in nanometer-thick
liquid-metal films wetting a solid substrate. We observe the features characteristic of both spinodal instability
and thermal nucleation in the spontaneously dewetting films and show that these two macroscopic mechanisms
share a common origin at molecular levels.
