No Arabic abstract
Inspired by the recent developments in the study of the thermodynamics of van der Waals fluids via the theory of nonlinear conservation laws and the description of phase transitions in terms of classical (dissipative) shock waves, we propose a novel approach to the construction of multi-parameter generalisations of the van der Waals model. The theory of integrable nonlinear conservation laws still represents the inspiring framework. Starting from a macroscopic approach, a four parameter family of integrable extended van der Waals models is indeed constructed in such a way that the equation of state is a solution to an integrable nonlinear conservation law linearisable by a Cole-Hopf transformation. This family is further specified by the request that, in regime of high temperature, far from the critical region, the extended model reproduces asymptotically the standard van der Waals equation of state. We provide a detailed comparison of our extended model with two notable empirical models such as Peng-Robinson and Soaves modification of the Redlich-Kwong equations of state. We show that our extended van der Waals equation of state is compatible with both empirical models for a suitable choice of the free parameters and can be viewed as a master interpolating equation. The present approach also suggests that further generalisations can be obtained by including the class of dispersive and viscous-dispersive nonlinear conservation laws and could lead to a new type of thermodynamic phase transitions associated to nonclassical and dispersive shock waves.
The inherent structures ({it IS}) are the local minima of the potential energy surface or landscape, $U({bf r})$, of an {it N} atom system. Stillinger has given an exact {it IS} formulation of thermodynamics. Here the implications for the equation of state are investigated. It is shown that the van der Waals ({it vdW}) equation, with density-dependent $a$ and $b$ coefficients, holds on the high-temperature plateau of the averaged {it IS} energy. However, an additional ``landscape contribution to the pressure is found at lower $T$. The resulting extended {it vdW} equation, unlike the original, is capable of yielding a water-like density anomaly, flat isotherms in the coexistence region {it vs} {it vdW} loops, and several other desirable features. The plateau energy, the width of the distribution of {it IS}, and the ``top of the landscape temperature are simulated over a broad reduced density range, $2.0 ge rho ge 0.20$, in the Lennard-Jones fluid. Fits to the data yield an explicit equation of state, which is argued to be useful at high density; it nevertheless reproduces the known values of $a$ and $b$ at the critical point.
The van der Waals heterostructures are a fertile frontier for discovering emergent phenomena in condensed matter systems. They are constructed by stacking elements of a large library of two-dimensional materials, which couple together through van der Waals interactions. However, the number of possible combinations within this library is staggering, and fully exploring their potential is a daunting task. Here we introduce van der Waals metamaterials to rapidly prototype and screen their quantum counterparts. These layered metamaterials are designed to reshape the flow of ultrasound to mimic electron motion. In particular, we show how to construct analogues of all stacking configurations of bilayer and trilayer graphene through the use of interlayer membranes that emulate van der Waals interactions. By changing the membranes density and thickness, we reach coupling regimes far beyond that of conventional graphene. We anticipate that van der Waals metamaterials will explore, extend, and inform future electronic devices. Equally, they allow the transfer of useful electronic behavior to acoustic systems, such as flat bands in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene, which may aid the development of super-resolution ultrasound imagers.
In inhomogeneous dielectric media the divergence of the electromagnetic stress is related to the gradients of varepsilon and mu, which is a consequence of Maxwells equations. Investigating spherically symmetric media we show that this seemingly universal relationship is violated for electromagnetic vacuum forces such as the generalized van der Waals and Casimir forces. The stress needs to acquire an additional anomalous pressure. The anomaly is a result of renormalization, the need to subtract infinities in the stress for getting a finite, physical force. The anomalous pressure appears in the stress in media like dark energy appears in the energy-momentum tensor in general relativity. We propose and analyse an experiment to probe the van der Waals anomaly with ultracold atoms. The experiment may not only test an unusual phenomenon of quantum forces, but also an analogue of dark energy, shedding light where nothing is known empirically.
The van der Waals quintessence equation of state is an interesting scenario for describing the late universe, and seems to provide a solution to the puzzle of dark energy, without the presence of exotic fluids or modifications of the Friedmann equations. In this work, the construction of inhomogeneous compact spheres supported by a van der Waals equation of state is explored. These relativistic stellar configurations shall be denoted as {it van der Waals quintessence stars}. Despite of the fact that, in a cosmological context, the van der Waals fluid is considered homogeneous, inhomogeneities may arise through gravitational instabilities. Thus, these solutions may possibly originate from density fluctuations in the cosmological background. Two specific classes of solutions, namely, gravastars and traversable wormholes are analyzed. Exact solutions are found, and their respective characteristics and physical properties are further explored.
We report structural, physical properties and electronic structure of van der Waals (vdW) crystal VI3. Detailed analysis reveals that VI3 exhibits a structural transition from monoclinic C2/m to rhombohedral R-3 at Ts ~ 79 K, similar to CrX3 (X = Cl, Br, I). Below Ts, a long-range ferromagnetic (FM) transition emerges at Tc ~ 50 K. The local moment of V in VI3 is close to the high-spin state V3+ ion (S = 1). Theoretical calculation suggests that VI3 may be a Mott insulator with the band gap of about 0.84 eV. In addition, VI3 has a relative small interlayer binding energy and can be exfoliated easily down to few layers experimentally. Therefore, VI3 is a candidate of two-dimensional FM semiconductor. It also provides a novel platform to explore 2D magnetism and vdW heterostructures in S = 1 system.