Unveiling the interdisciplinary character of negative pressure

TL;DR

This paper investigates negative pressure across various physical phenomena, linking thermodynamics, metastability, and phase transitions to deepen understanding of its interdisciplinary role.

Contribution

It introduces a novel connection between the effective Grüneisen parameter and nucleation theory, expanding the theoretical framework of negative pressure.

Findings

Negative pressure occurs in diverse physical contexts like cosmology and capillarity.

Metastable states are often associated with negative pressure phenomena.

A new link between the Grüneisen parameter and nucleation theory is proposed.

Abstract

We explore the concept of negative pressure and its relevance in a variety of physical contexts: the expansion of the universe, mixture theory, cavitation, and the capillary effect in plants. Using thermodynamic arguments, we discuss the intricate connection between negative pressure and negative thermal expansion. We highlight the fact that metastable states and competing phases are often associated with the emergence of negative pressure. We also propose a new link between the effective Gr\"uneisen parameter and nucleation theory.