Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.109, No.14, 6157-6162, 1998
Thermodynamic stability of ferromagnetic liquids in the presence of nematic interactions
It is shown that the region of the phase diagram where the ferromagnetic liquid phase of a Heisenberg fluid (with long-ranged exchange interactions) is thermodynamically stable (relative to the solid phases) remains confined to a fairly small temperature-density domain also in the presence of nematic interactions. The present analysis is carried out on the basis of a van der Waals theory for both translationally and/or orientationally ordered and disordered phases.
Keywords:DENSITY-FUNCTIONAL THEORY, DER-WAALS THEORY, HEISENBERG FLUID;PHASE-DIAGRAMS, ORDER, TRANSITION