Order-disorder transitions for a two-dimensional lattice of reorientable quadrupoles in the mean-field approximation

V. Massidda and J. Hernando

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 1984, vol. 128, issue 1, 318-333

Abstract: We consider a two-dimensional lattice of reorientable point quadrupoles which interact electrostatically with each other. We introduce a set of probability distribution functions nl(φ) describing the orientational behavior of the quadrupoles. We write down the free energy in the mean-field approximation as a functional of the nl. By a variational procedure we find a set of transcendental equations whose solutions gives the nl. This formalism is applied to three particular cases: (A) square lattice, (B) rectangular lattice, (C) triangular lattice. In all cases an order-disorder phase transition is found. The transition is second-order in cases A and C; in case B it can be first-or second-order, depending on the kind of quadrupoles. A particular case of C is that of a layer of N2 molecules on graphite for which our model predicts the right low-temperature structure and a transition temperature in reasonable agreement with the experimental one.

Date: 1984
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:128:y:1984:i:1:p:318-333

DOI: 10.1016/0378-4371(84)90095-5

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