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A criterion for symmetric tricritical points in condensed ordered phases

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2011

F. BISI ,
E. C. GARTLAND JR.  and
E. G. VIRGA
F. BISI
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy email: eg.virga@unipv.it Laboratory of Applied Mathematics, Fondazione Università di Mantova, Via Scarsellini 2, 46100 Mantova, Italy email: fulvio.bisi@unipv.it
E. C. GARTLAND JR.
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA email: gartland@math.kent.edu
E. G. VIRGA
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy email: eg.virga@unipv.it
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Abstract

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Basic methods from bifurcation theory are applied to derive a criterion that predicts when a symmetric tricritical point may occur in a transition between condensed ordered phases described by any finite number of scalar order parameters. At such a point, a change of order takes place in the phase transition, which passes from first to second order, or vice versa.

Keywords

Phase transitionsCritical points of functions and mappingsBifurcation problemsBifurcations and instabilityComputational methods for bifurcation problems
Type
Papers
Information
European Journal of Applied Mathematics , Volume 23 , Issue 1: Liquid Crystals , February 2012 , pp. 3 - 28
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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