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Defect-Induced Phase Separation in Dipolar Fluids

A defect-induced, critical phase separation in dipolar fluids is predicted, which replaces the usual liquid-gas transition that is driven by the isotropic aggregation of particles and is absent in dipolar fluids due to strong chaining. The coexisting phases are a dilute gas of chain ends that coexis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2000-11, Vol.290 (5495), p.1328-1331
Main Authors: Tlusty, T., Safran, S. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:A defect-induced, critical phase separation in dipolar fluids is predicted, which replaces the usual liquid-gas transition that is driven by the isotropic aggregation of particles and is absent in dipolar fluids due to strong chaining. The coexisting phases are a dilute gas of chain ends that coexists with a high-density liquid of chain branching points. Our model provides a unified explanation for the branched structures, the unusually low critical temperature and density, and the consequent two-phase coexistence "islands" that were recently observed in experiment and simulation.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.290.5495.1328