Local orientational ordering in fluids of spherical molecules with dipolar-like anisotropic adhesion

TL;DR

This paper investigates how short-range dipolar-like anisotropic interactions influence local orientational ordering in fluids of spherical molecules, revealing formation of chain-like clusters with specific alignment patterns.

Contribution

It provides an analytical study of a fluid model combining isotropic adhesion with dipolar-like anisotropic interactions, highlighting local ordering phenomena.

Findings

Formation of chain-like clusters with parallel and antiparallel alignments

Isotropic interactions dominate global thermodynamic properties

Anisotropic interactions induce local orientational order

Abstract

We discuss some interesting physical features stemming from our previous analytical study of a simple model of a fluid with dipolar-like interactions of very short range in addition to the usual isotropic Baxter potential for adhesive spheres. While the isotropic part is found to rule the global structural and thermodynamical equilibrium properties of the fluid, the weaker anisotropic part gives rise to an interesting short-range local ordering of nearly spherical condensation clusters, containing short portions of chains having nose-to-tail parallel alignment which runs antiparallel to adjacent similar chains.