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Critical wetting for short range forces revisited. New results of Monte Carlo simulations.

By: Pawel Bryk
From: Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Poland
At: Instituto de Investigação Interdisciplinar, Anfiteatro
[2010-11-11] 11:30

We use Monte Carlo simulation to study critical wetting transition for short range forces. We consider simple 3D Ising model with nearest-neighbour interactions in slab geometry. In order to ascertain the nature of the critical wetting transition we apply very fast multispin coding algorithm together with hyperparalell tempering technique. This allows us to consider larger systems and much better statistics than those presented in previous simulation study [1]. By calculating the effective interface potential [2] we determine the critical wetting transition points and reestimate the relevant critical exponents. These results are compared with the recent predictions based on non-local Hamiltonian theory [3]. We also point out significant methodological problems associated with the accurate determination of the critical wetting transition points by computer simulation.

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2. L.G. MacDowell, M. Mueller, J. Chem. Phys. 124, (2006) 084907.
3. A.O. Parry, C. Rascon, N.R. Bernardino, J.M. Romero-Enrique, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, (2008) 136105.