Theory of melting lines with a variable enthalpy of fusion

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Papathanassiou, Anthony N.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Papathanassiou, Anthony N.
author_facet Papathanassiou, Anthony N.
contents Conventional derivations of phase boundaries from the Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) relation often employ the constant latent heat approximation to maintain analytical functions of the sublimation and boiling curves. To address the complex thermodynamics of the solid-liquid transition, we develop a two-phase analytical model by modifying the CC equation to account for a variable enthalpy of fusion along the melting line (ML). Our methodology utilizes recent theoretical and experimental progress demonstrating that the isobaric heat capacity of crystalline solids near the melting point features a dominant anharmonic, volume-dependent component. Consequently, the latent heat is correlated to the specific volumes of the coexisting phases. Differentiation of this modified CC relation yields a second-order differential equation governing ML. By imposing appropriate e boundary conditions, physically acceptable approximate parabolic solutions are derived. The parameters of these analytic functions are defined exclusively by fundamental thermophysical properties, including the bulk moduli, thermal expansion coefficients, and specific volumes of the coexisting phases, as well as the isobaric heat capacity of the solid. Our derivation, rooted in solid-state anharmonicity, yields approximate parabolic scaling laws that corroborate with a recent universal model derived from the Phonon Theory of Liquids [K. Trachenko, Phys. Rev. E 109, 034122 (2024)], supporting the universal parabolic nature of melting curves from a completely distinct theoretical foundation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_17631
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Theory of melting lines with a variable enthalpy of fusion
Papathanassiou, Anthony N.
Statistical Mechanics
Conventional derivations of phase boundaries from the Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) relation often employ the constant latent heat approximation to maintain analytical functions of the sublimation and boiling curves. To address the complex thermodynamics of the solid-liquid transition, we develop a two-phase analytical model by modifying the CC equation to account for a variable enthalpy of fusion along the melting line (ML). Our methodology utilizes recent theoretical and experimental progress demonstrating that the isobaric heat capacity of crystalline solids near the melting point features a dominant anharmonic, volume-dependent component. Consequently, the latent heat is correlated to the specific volumes of the coexisting phases. Differentiation of this modified CC relation yields a second-order differential equation governing ML. By imposing appropriate e boundary conditions, physically acceptable approximate parabolic solutions are derived. The parameters of these analytic functions are defined exclusively by fundamental thermophysical properties, including the bulk moduli, thermal expansion coefficients, and specific volumes of the coexisting phases, as well as the isobaric heat capacity of the solid. Our derivation, rooted in solid-state anharmonicity, yields approximate parabolic scaling laws that corroborate with a recent universal model derived from the Phonon Theory of Liquids [K. Trachenko, Phys. Rev. E 109, 034122 (2024)], supporting the universal parabolic nature of melting curves from a completely distinct theoretical foundation.
title Theory of melting lines with a variable enthalpy of fusion
topic Statistical Mechanics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17631