posted on 2019-11-25, 14:19authored byUwe Thiele, Tobias Frohoff-Hülsmann, Sebastian Engelnkemper, Edgar Knobloch, Andrew ArcherAndrew Archer
We consider simple mean field continuum models for first order liquid-liquid
demixing and solid-liquid phase transitions and show how the Maxwell
construction at phase coexistence emerges on going from finite-size closed
systems to the thermodynamic limit. The theories considered are the
Cahn-Hilliard model of phase separation, which is also a model for the
liquid-gas transition, and the phase field crystal model of the solid-liquid
transition. Our results show that states comprising the Maxwell line depend
strongly on the mean density with spatially localized structures playing a key
role in the approach to the thermodynamic limit.
Funding
National Science Foundation (USA) under grants DMS-1613132 and DMS-1908891
This is an Open Access Article. It is published by IOP under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence (CC BY). Full details of this licence are available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/