  Breakage is generally understood in mechanical terms, yet nano-structures can
rupture not only under external loads but also via thermal activation. Here we
treat in a general framework the statistical mechanics of thermally induced
breakage at the nano-scale for one-dimensional systems. We test it on a simple
approximation and find that the probability of breakage controls distinct
regimes, characterized by sharp crossovers and narrow peaks in the thermal
fluctuations and specific heat. Our work provides predictions on clustering of
new phases, of relevance in nano-fabrication.
