A square-well model for the structural and thermodynamic properties of simple colloidal systems

Abstract

A model for the radial distribution function $g(r)$ of a square-well fluid of variable width previously proposed [S. B. Yuste and A. Santos, J. Chem. Phys. {\bf 101}, 2355 (1994)] is revisited and simplified. The model provides an explicit expression for the Laplace transform of $rg(r)$, the coefficients being given as explicit functions of the density, the temperature, and the interaction range. In the limits corresponding to hard spheres and sticky hard spheres the model reduces to the analytical solutions of the Percus-Yevick equation for those potentials. The results can be useful to describe in a fully analytical way the structural and thermodynamic behavior of colloidal suspensions modeled as hard-core particles with a short-range attraction. Comparison with computer simulation data shows a general good agreement, even for relatively wide wells.

arXiv comment23 pages, 10 figures; Figs. 4 and 5 changed, Fig. 6 new; to be published in J. Chem. Phys

References in corpus (6)

• Extended corresponding-states behavior for particles with variable range attractions
• Generic mechanism for generating a liquid-liquid phase transition
• Higher order glass-transition singularities in colloidal systems with attractive interactions
• Mechanical Properties of a Model of Attractive Colloidal Solutions
• Simple Fluids with Complex Phase Behavior
• Supercooled fluid-fluid phase transition in three dimensions from a soft-core potential

Cited by in corpus (14)

• Liquid-Liquid Phase Transitions for Soft-Core Attractive Potentials
• Pair correlation function of short-ranged square-well fluids
• Structure of hard-hypersphere fluids in odd dimensions
• Structural and Thermodynamic Properties of Hard-Sphere Fluids
• Alternative Approaches to the Equilibrium Properties of Hard-Sphere Liquids
• How `sticky' are short-range square-well fluids?
• Structure of the square-shoulder fluid
• Bridging and depletion mechanisms in colloid-colloid effective interactions: A reentrant phase diagram
• The Hierarchical Reference Theory as applied to square well fluids of variable range
• Heat capacity of square-well fluids of variable width
• On the radial distribution function of a hard-sphere fluid
• Multicomponent fluids of hard hyperspheres in odd dimensions
• Structural properties of fluids interacting via piece-wise constant potentials with a hard core
• Interacting hard rods on a lattice: Distribution of microstates and density functionals