The order parameter of a critical system defined in a layered parallel plate geometry subject to Neumann boundary conditions at the limiting surfaces is studied. We utilize a one-particle irreducible vertex parts framework in order to study the critical behavior of such a system. The renormalized vertex parts are defined at zero external quasi-momenta, which makes the analysis particularly simple. The distance between the boundary plates $L$ characterizing the finite size system direction perpendicular to the hyperplanes plays a similar role here in comparison with our recent unified treatment for Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions. Critical exponents are computed using diagrammatic expansion at least up to two-loop order and are shown to be identical to those from the bulk theory (limit $L \rightarrow \infty$).
The order parameter of a critical system defined in a layered parallel plate geometry subject to Neumann boundary conditions at the limiting surfaces is studied. We utilize a one-particle irreducible vertex parts framework in order to study the critical behavior of such a system. The renormalized vertex parts are defined at zero external quasi-momenta, which makes the analysis particularly simple. The distance between the boundary plates L characterizing the finite size system direction perpendicular to the hyperplanes plays a similar role here in comparison with our recent unified treatment for Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions. Critical exponents are computed using diagrammatic expansion at least up to two-loop order and are shown to be identical to those from the bulk theory (limit L→∞).
We introduce a renormalized one-particle irreducible, 1PI, vertex part scalar field theory setting in momentum space to computing the critical exponents ν and η, at least at two-loop order, for a layered parallel plate geometry separated by a distance L, with periodic as well as antiperiodic boundary conditions on the plates. We utilize massive and massless fields in order to extract the exponents in independent ultraviolet and infrared scaling analysis, respectively, which are required in a complete description of the scaling regions for finite size systems. We prove that fixed points and other critical amounts either in the ultraviolet or in the infrared regime dependent on the plates boundary condition are a general feature of normalization conditions. We introduce a new description of typical crossover regimes occurring in finite size systems. Avoiding these crossovers, the three regions of finite size scaling present for each of these boundary conditions are shown to be indistinguishable in the results of the exponents in periodic and antiperiodic conditions, which coincide with those from the (bulk) infinite system.
The three-dimensional mean spherical model with a L-layer film geometry, under Neumann - Neumann and Neumann - Dirichlet boundary conditions is considered. Surafce fields and are supposed to act at the surfaces bounding the system. In the case of Neumann boundary conditions a new surface critical exponent is found. It is argued that this exponent corresponds to a special (surface - bulk) phase transition in the model. The Privman - Fisher scaling hypothesis for the free energy is verified and the corresponding scaling functions for both the Neumann - Neumann and Neumann - Dirichlet boundary conditions are explicitly derived. If the layer field is applied at some distance from the Dirichlet boundary, a family of critical exponents emerges: their values depend on the exponent defining how the distance scales with the finite size of the system, and interpolate continuously between the extreme cases and .
The present work investigates the influence of real boundary conditions on the critical behaviour of confined system close to the temperature of a second order phase transition of the bulk. This is done analytically by applying the methods of the field theory of critical phenomena to a half-space geometry with a completely suppressed order parameter on the surface, the so-called Dirichlet boundary conditions. For the first time the surface specific heat is calculated to next to leading order in a fixed dimension both above and below the critical temperature. The results are compared with the data of recent experiments on Helium in plate geometry close to the lambda transition. Apart from the experimentally known bulk amplitudes no adaptable parameters are used. Above the critical temperature a semi-quantitative agreement of theory and experiment is found, whereas the experimental data cannot be explained below the lambda point. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. Secondly a new method to approximate Dirichlet boundary conditions in Monte Carlo simulations of lattice spin systems is presented. In comparison with established realizations both a better suppression of the order parameter on the boundary and the theoretically predicted scaling behaviour is achieved. Data generated with the new method shows agreement with theory within the expected errors.
Finite-size effects are investigated in the Gaussian model with isotropic and anisotropic short-range interactions in film geometry with nonperiodic boundary conditions (bc) above, at, and below the bulk critical temperature Tc. We have obtained exact results for the free energy and the Casimir force for antiperiodic, Neumann, Dirichlet, and Neumann-Dirichlet mixed bc in 1<d<4 dimensions. For the Casimir force, finite-size scaling is found to be valid for all bc. For the free energy, finite-size scaling is valid in 1<d<3 and 3<d<4 dimensions for antiperiodic, Neumann, and Dirichlet bc, but logarithmic deviations from finite-size scaling exist in d=3 dimensions for Neumann and Dirichlet bc. This is explained in terms of the borderline dimension d*=3 , where the critical exponent 1-α-ν=(d-3)∕2 of the Gaussian surface energy density vanishes. For Neumann-Dirichlet bc, finite-size scaling is strongly violated above Tc for 1<d<4 because of a cancelation of the leading scaling terms. For antiperiodic, Dirichlet, and Neumann-Dirichlet bc, a finite film critical temperature Tc,film(L)<Tc exists at finite film thickness L . Our results include an exact description of the dimensional crossover between the d -dimensional finite-size critical behavior near bulk Tc and the (d-1) -dimensional critical behavior near Tc,film(L). This dimensional crossover is illustrated for the critical behavior of the specific heat. Particular attention is paid to an appropriate representation of the free energy in the region Tc,film(L)≤T≤Tc. For 2<d<4 , the Gaussian results are renormalized and reformulated as one-loop contributions of the φ4 field theory at fixed dimension d and are then compared with the ε=4-d expansion results at ε=1 as well as with d=3 Monte Carlo data. For d=2 , the Gaussian results for the Casimir force scaling function are compared with those for the Ising model with periodic, antiperiodic, and free bc; unexpected exact relations are found between the Gaussian and Ising scaling functions. For both the d -dimensional Gaussian model and the two-dimensional Ising model it is shown that anisotropic couplings imply nonuniversal scaling functions of the Casimir force that depend explicitly on microscopic couplings. Our Gaussian results provide the basis for the investigation of finite-size effects of the mean spherical model in film geometry with nonperiodic bc above, at, and below the bulk critical temperature.
A detailed analysis of the finite–size effects on the bulk critical behaviour of the d–dimensional mean spherical model confined to a film geometry with finite thickness L is reported. Along the finite direction different boundary conditions are applied: periodic (p), antiperiodic (a) and free surfaces with Dirichlet (D), Neumann (N) and a combination of Neumann and Dirichlet (ND) on both surfaces. A systematic method for the evaluation of the finite–size corrections to the free energy for the different types of boundary conditions is proposed. The free energy density and the equation for the spherical field are computed for arbitrary d. It is found, for 2 < d < 4, that the singular part of the free energy has the required finite–size scaling form at the bulk critical temperature only for (p) and (a). For the remaining boundary conditions the standard finite–size scaling hypothesis is not valid. At d = 3, the critical amplitude (related to the so called Casimir amplitude) is estimated. We obtain
A detailed analysis of the finite-size effects on the bulk critical behaviour of the d -dimensional mean spherical model confined to a film geometry with finite thickness L is reported. Along the finite direction different kinds of boundary conditions are applied: periodic ( p ), antiperiodic ( a ) and free surfaces with Dirichlet ( D ), Neumann ( N ) and a combination of Neumann and Dirichlet ( ND ) on both surfaces. A systematic method for the evaluation of the finite-size corrections to the free energy for the different types of boundary conditions is proposed. The free energy density and the equation for the spherical field are computed for arbitrary d . It is found, for 2 < d < 4, that the singular part of the free energy has the required finite-size scaling form at the bulk critical temperature only for ( p ) and ( a ). For the remaining boundary conditions the standard finite-size scaling hypothesis is not valid. At d = 3, the critical amplitude of the singular part of the free energy (related to the so-called Casimir amplitude) is estimated. We obtain Δ ( p ) = −2ζ(3)/(5π) = −0.153 051..., Δ ( a ) = 0.274 543... and Δ ( ND ) = 0.019 22..., implying a fluctuation-induced attraction between the surfaces for ( p ) and repulsion in the other two cases. For ( D ) and ( N ) we find a logarithmic dependence on L .