Zipf's law in Multifragmentation

TL;DR

This paper explores the application of Zipf's law to nuclear multifragmentation, linking it to power law distributions and clarifying its limitations as a phase transition indicator.

Contribution

It clarifies the relationship between Zipf's law and power law fragment size distributions in nuclear physics, emphasizing its non-reliability as a phase transition signal.

Findings

Zipf's law results from a power law distribution with exponent ~2

Zipf's law is not a definitive indicator of liquid-gas phase transition

The paper discusses the implications of these findings in nuclear physics

Abstract

We discuss the meaning of Zipf's law in nuclear multifragmentation. We remark that Zipf's law is a consequence of a power law fragment size distribution with exponent $\tau \simeq 2$. We also recall why the presence of such distribution is not a reliable signal of a liquid-gas phase transition.