English

First-order phase transition and the equation of state in a 2D granular fluid

Soft Condensed Matter 2007-05-23 v1 Statistical Mechanics

Abstract

We present experimental evidence for a first-order freezing/melting phase transition in a nonequilibrium system -- an oscillated two-dimensional isobaric granular fluid. The steady-state transition occurs between a gas and a crystal and is characterized by a discontinuous change in both density and temperature. It is suppressed if the number of particles is incommensurate with the cell size, shows rate-dependent hysteresis, and obeys the Lindemann criterion for melting. Further, the measured equation of state both above and below the phase transition compares well with theory.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0610839,
  title  = {First-order phase transition and the equation of state in a 2D granular fluid},
  author = {M. D. Shattuck},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0610839},
  year   = {2007}
}