Effects of the transition zone on the surface tension of Ar near the triple point

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Abstract
The effect of the transition zone on the surface tension of Ar near the triple point is reexamined. The surface tension is calculated from the Kirkwood-Buff formula for the cases of a linear density profile and also a cubic profile and the formulas differ from those previously obtained by Fitts. The realistic Barker-Fisher-Watts potential is used and the radial distribution function in the bulk liquid is taken from experiment. Several approximate representations of the distribution function in the transition zone are used. The results indicate that the surface tension is a slowly varying function of the thickness of the transition zone, and that Fowler's step-function profile does not introduce substantial error. When this value is combined with the three-body nonadditivity contribution, the total tension is significantly smaller than the experimental value.