Critical Phenomena in Fluid Films: Critical-Temperature-Shift, Crossover-Temperature, and Coexistence-Curve-Amplitude Exponents, and a Fluid-Boundary Interaction

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Abstract
Refractive-index coexistence curves for films of the binary fluid mixture 2, 6-lutidine + water are analyzed. The critical-temperature-shift exponent and the crossover-temperature exponent agree well with scaling-theory predictions. The two-dimensional coexistence-curve amplitudes are largely consistent with the scaling prediction. The predicted behavior is superimposed on systematically displaced coexistence curves. We argue that the displacement arises from interaction between the fluid and the plane mirrors which confine it.