Related papers: A geometric conjecture about phase transitions

The purpose of this paper is to give, on one hand, a mathematical exposition of the main topological and geometrical properties of geometric transitions, on the other hand, a quick outline of their principal applications, both in…

Dynamical phase transitions are defined as non-analytic points of the large deviation function of current fluctuations. We show that for boundary driven systems, many dynamical phase transitions can be identified using the geometrical…

The crossing of a transition state in a multidimensional reactive system is mediated by invariant geometric objects in phase space: An invariant hyper-sphere that represents the transition state itself and invariant hyper-cylinders that…

Fluid mixtures, such as the cellular cytoplasm and synthetic DNA nanostars, can spontaneously compartmentalize into many coexisting phases through liquid-liquid phase separation. Despite the diversity of fluid structures that emerge from…

General conditions for the occurrence of mesoscopic phase fluctuations in condensed matter are considered. The description of different thermodynamic phases, which coexist as a mixture of mesoscopically separated regions, is based on the…

If a given behavior of a multi-agent system restricts the phase variable to a invariant manifold, then we define a phase transition as change of physical characteristics such as speed, coordination, and structure. We define such a phase…

Topology is being widely adopted to understand and to categorize quantum matter in modern physics. The nexus of topology orders, which engenders distinct quantum phases with benefits to both fundamental research and practical applications…

Time has entered the domain of topological phases in the field of non-Hermitian physics. Previous studies have relied on periodic modulation in time to make an intuitive connection to established spatial topological invariants, albeit with…

We discuss the origin of topological defects in phase transitions and analyze their role as a "diagnostic tool" in the study of the non-equilibrium dynamics of symmetry breaking. Homogeneous second order phase transitions are the focus of…

A central goal of protein-folding theory is to predict the stochastic dynamics of transition paths --- the rare trajectories that transit between the folded and unfolded ensembles --- using only thermodynamic information, such as a…

Singularities in macroscopic systems at discontinuous phase transitions are replaced in finite systems by sharp but continuous changes. Both the energy differences between metastable and stable phases and the energy barriers separating…

This paper looks at the early theory of phase transitions. It considers a group of related concepts derived from condensed matter and statistical physics. The key technical ideas here go under the names of "singularity", "order parameter",…

A thermodynamic phase transition denotes a drastic change of state of a physical system due to a continuous change of thermodynamic variables, as for instance pressure and temperature. The classical van der Waals equation of state is the…

Topology forms a cornerstone in modern condensed matter and statistical physics, offering a new framework to classify the phases and phase transitions beyond the traditional Landau paradigm. However, it is widely believed that topological…

Many gauge theory models on fuzzy complex projective spaces will contain a strong instability in the quantum field theory leading to topology change. This can be thought of as due to the interaction between spacetime via its…

We study the phase behaviour of a fluid composed of particles which interact via a pair potential that is repulsive for large inter-particle distances, is attractive at intermediate distances and is strongly repulsive at short distances…

We consider a perfectly homogeneous and isotropic universe which undergoes a sudden phase transition. If the transition produces topological defects, which we assume, perturbations in the geometry and the cosmic fluid also suddenly appear.…

The influence of topological defects on phase synchronization and phase coherence in two-dimensional arrays of locally-coupled, nonidentical, chaotic oscillators is investigated. The motion of topological defects leads to a breakdown of…

In the framework of a recently proposed topological approach to phase transitions, some sufficient conditions ensuring the presence of the spontaneous breaking of a Z_2 symmetry and of a symmetry-breaking phase transition are introduced and…

We investigate a phase separation instability that occurs in a system of nearly elastically colliding hard spheres driven by a thermal wall. If the aspect ratio of the confining box exceeds a threshold value, granular hydrostatics predict…