Critical point phenomena, heat capacities and the renormalization group theory of fluctuations

Gopal, E. S. R. (1981) Critical point phenomena, heat capacities and the renormalization group theory of fluctuations Bulletin of Materials Science, 3 (2). pp. 91-99. ISSN 0250-4707

[img]
Preview
PDF - Publisher Version
468kB

Official URL: http://www.ias.ac.in/j_archive/bms/3/1/91-100/view...

Related URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02908484

Abstract

In the normal study of matter, the ordered state is considered first, followed by the addition of minor disorder or fluctuations, for instance, studying crystalline solids with some quasiparticle excitations like phonons and magnons. The discovery of the universality of critical point phenomena seems to provide a chance to study a regime dominated by the fluctuations. The Onsager solution of the two-dimensional Ising model, exhibiting a logarithmic singularity in heat capacity, and the Fairbank-Buckingham-Kellers experiments, showing such a singularity in the heat capacity near the superfluid transition of liquid 4He, are landmarks in this topic. The recent renormalization group theory shows a way of studying the patterns among the fluctuations. The dependence of the critical exponents upon spatial and spin dimensionalities, the existence of universal amplitude ratios and the other aspects of critical phenomena are briefly discussed.

Item Type:Article
Source:Copyright of this article belongs to Indian Academy of Sciences.
Keywords:Critical Phenomena; Specific Heats; Fluctuations; Renormalization Group Theory
ID Code:71039
Deposited On:24 Nov 2011 03:41
Last Modified:18 May 2016 16:55

Repository Staff Only: item control page