Vapor-liquid coexistence of the Stockmayer fluid in nonuniform external fields

TL;DR

This study uses molecular simulation to explore how nonuniform electric fields induce local vapor-liquid phase separation in the Stockmayer fluid, leading to condensation and polarization changes.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of nonuniform electric fields on phase behavior and polarization in the Stockmayer fluid, revealing local condensation phenomena.

Findings

Vapor phase undergoes local phase separation in nonuniform fields.

Condensation occurs in regions with strong electric fields.

System polarization depends strongly on the field strength.

Abstract

We investigate the structure and phase behavior of the Stockmayer fluid in the presence of nonuniform electric fields using molecular simulation. We find that an initially homogeneous vapor phase undergoes a local phase separation in a nonuniform field due to the combined effect of the field gradient and the fluid vapor--liquid equilibrium. This results in a high density fluid condensing in the strong field region. The system polarization exhibits a strong field dependence due to the fluid condensation.