Publication Date

2002

Journal or Book Title

Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter

Abstract

We present a theoretical study of capillary condensation of fluids adsorbed in mesoporous disordered media. Combining mean-field density functional theory with a coarse-grained description in terms of a lattice-gas model allows us to investigate both the out-of-equilibrium (hysteresis) and the equilibrium behaviour. We show that the main features of capillary condensation in disordered solids result from the appearance of a complex free-energy landscape with a large number of metastable states. We detail the numerical procedures for finding these states, and the presence or absence of transitions in the thermodynamic limit is determined by careful finite-size studies.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/14/40/319

Pages

9295-9315

Volume

14

Special Issue

Special Issue on Liquid State Theory, from White Dwarfs to Colloids - Dedicated to Professor J-P Hansen on his 60th Birthday

Issue

40

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