Double universality of the transition in the supercritical state

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  • Cillian Cockrell
    Queen Mary University of London
  • Kostya Trachenko
    Queen Mary University of London
Universality aids consistent understanding of physical properties and states of matter where a theory predicts how a property of a phase (solid, liquid, and gas) changes with temperature or pressure. Here, we show that the matter above the critical point has a remarkable double universality. The first universality is the transition between the liquid-like and gas-like states seen in the crossover of the specific heat on the dynamical length with a fixed inversion point. The second universality is the operation of this effect in many supercritical fluids, including N2, CO2, Pb, H2O, and Ar. Despite different structure and chemical bonding, the transition has the same fixed inversion point deep in the supercritical state. This advances our understanding of the supercritical state previously considered to be a featureless area on the phase diagram and a theoretical guide for improved deployment of supercritical fluids in green and environmental applications.
Original languageEnglish
JournalScience Advances
Volume8
Issue number32
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Aug 2022
Externally publishedYes
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