A Landau free energy is a symmetry-constrained analytic expansion in an order parameter. Its minima determine the mean-field equilibrium phases.
Two compositions coexist when one straight line is tangent to the free-energy density at both compositions. Equality of its slope gives equal chemical potentials, and equality of its intercept gives equal pressures.
The binodal is the coexistence boundary: its two branches give the compositions of phases joined by the common-tangent construction.

Ancestors (6)

  1. Landau theory
  2. Critical phenomenon
  3. Statistical physics
  4. Branch of physics
  5. Physics
  6. Home

Incoming links (2)

View article source

Discussion (0)

New discussion

There are no discussions about this article yet.

Articles by others on the same topic (0)

There are currently no matching articles.
See all articles in the same topic Create my own version