Phase Behavior of Short Range Square Well Model

TL;DR

This study uses Monte Carlo simulations to map the phase diagrams of the short-range square well model, revealing metastability of the fluid-fluid critical point and providing new insights into phase boundaries for specific attractive ranges.

Contribution

The paper presents new phase diagram data for the square well model at specific ranges and compares these with prior simulations and experimental results.

Findings

Fluid-fluid critical point is metastable for both ranges.

New phase boundary data for λ=1.15.

Agreement with previous results for λ=1.25.

Abstract

Various Monte Carlo techniques are used to determine the complete phase diagrams of the square well model for the attractive ranges $\lambda = 1.15$ and $\lambda = 1.25$. The results for the latter case are in agreement with earlier Monte Carlo simulations for the fluid-fluid coexistence curve and yield new results for the liquidus-solidus lines. Our results for $\lambda = 1.15$ are new. We find that the fluid-fluid critical point is metastable for both cases, with the case $\lambda = 1.25$ being just below the threshold value for metastability. We compare our results with prior studies and with experimental results for the gamma-II crystallin.