Eur. Phys. J. D 8, 241-244 (2000)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100530050032

Critical dynamics in clusters of noble gas atoms

¹ Fakultät für Physik, Universität Bielefeld, 33501 Bielefeld 1, Germany
² INT, University of Washington, Box 351550, Seattle, WA 98195, USA

Received: 1 September 1998
Revised: 14 January 1999
Published online: 15 February 2000

Abstract

The multi-fragmentation dynamics of noble gas atomic clusters is considered for different statistically distributed deposited energies. The conditions giving rise to the development of criticality in the cluster evolution are revealed from an analysis of the signals in the fragment mass distribution. The time dependence of the observables related to critical exponents is studied. It is demonstrated that in a certain regime the cluster exhibits a behavior which can be identified as the precursor of a second-order liquid-gas phase transition.