2001/01/26 by J. Dzubiella, Joachim Dzubiella, H. M. Harreis +4 · 9 citations
Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Classical mechanics #Condensed matter physics #Geology #Geometry #Gravitation #Material Dynamics and Properties #Materials science #Monte Carlo method #Optics #Phase (matter) #Phase Equilibria and Thermodynamics #Phase diagram #Physics #Reentrancy #Scaling #Scattering #Sedimentation #Statistical physics #cond-mat.soft
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.64.011405
published in Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics 64(1), 011405 (American Physical Society) · 10 pages, 6 figures
arxiv created 2001/01/26 · openalex publication_date 2001/06/20 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We examine sedimentation density profiles of star polymer solutions as an example of colloidal systems in sedimentation equilibrium that exhibit reentrant melting in their bulk phase diagram. Phase transitions between a fluid and a fluid with an intercalated solid are observed below a critical gravitational strength alpha*. Characteristics of the two fluid-solid interfaces in the density profiles occurring in Monte Carlo simulations for alpha<alpha* are in agreement with scaling laws put forth in the framework of a phenomenological theory. Furthermore, we detect density oscillations at the fluid-gas interface at high altitudes for high-gravitational fields, which are verified with density-functional theory and should be observable in surface scattering experiments.