Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 8, 2025
10:08
Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: October 24, 2017
9.3K
Suppression of discontinuous phase transitions by particle diffusion
Chul-Ung Woo1, Heiko Rieger2,3, Jae Dong Noh1
1Department of Physics, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Korea.
Physical Review. E
|June 16, 2022
Summary
This study explores the q-state Brownian Potts model, finding a continuous phase transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic states for q>4, unlike equilibrium models. Diffusion-induced disorder is key to this continuous transition.
Area of Science:
- Statistical Mechanics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Computational Physics
Background:
- The equilibrium q-state Potts model in 2D exhibits a discontinuous phase transition for q>4.
- Understanding phase transitions in non-equilibrium systems is crucial for statistical mechanics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phase transitions of the two-dimensional (2D) q-state Brownian Potts model.
- To determine if diffusion affects the nature of phase transitions in the Potts model.
Main Methods:
- Extensive Monte Carlo simulations were employed.
- The model incorporates diffusing Potts spins with ferromagnetic interactions within a fixed distance.
Main Results:
- A continuous phase transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic phases was observed, even for q>4.
- This contrasts with the discontinuous transition found in the equilibrium 2D q-state Potts model for q>4.
Conclusions:
- Dynamical positional disorder, generated by diffusion, suppresses phase coexistence.
- This suppression leads to a continuous phase transition in the Brownian Potts model, even for large q.
Related Concept Videos
02:33Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition
17.8K
Some solids can transition directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, via a process known as sublimation. At room temperature and standard pressure, a piece of dry ice (solid CO2) sublimes, appearing to gradually disappear without ever forming any liquid. Snow and ice sublimate at temperatures below the melting point of water, a slow process that may be accelerated by winds and the reduced atmospheric pressures at high altitudes. When solid iodine is warmed, the solid sublimes...
17.8K
02:39Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation
18.3K
The physical form of a substance changes on changing its temperature. For example, raising the temperature of a liquid causes the liquid to vaporize (convert into vapor). The process is called vaporization—a surface phenomenon. Vaporization occurs when the thermal motion of the molecules overcome the intermolecular forces, and the molecules (at the surface) escape into the gaseous state. When a liquid vaporizes in a closed container, gas molecules cannot escape. As these gas phase...
18.3K
02:31Phase Transitions
20.1K
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
20.1K
02:39Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
13.0K
Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
13.0K
00:59States of Matter and Phase Changes
1.2K
The internal energy of a substance—the total kinetic energy of all its molecules and the potential energy of their associated forces—depends on the strength of the intermolecular forces in the condensed phases and the pressure exerted on the substance. The internal energy of a substance is the highest in the gaseous state, the lowest in the solid state, and intermediate in the liquid state. Phase transitions are caused by changes in physical conditions, such as temperature and...
1.2K
01:09Theories of Dissolution: The Danckwerts' Model and Interfacial Barrier Model
429
Various dissolution theories provide insight into the factors that influence the dissolution rate. Danckwerts' Model suggests that turbulence, rather than a stagnant layer, characterizes the dissolution medium at the solid-liquid interface. In this model, the agitated solvent contains macroscopic packets that move to the interface via eddy currents, facilitating the absorption and delivery of the drug to the bulk solution. The regular replenishment of solvent packets maintains the...
429