Thermodynamic Quantities of Morse Fluids in the Supercritical Region

Abstract

The critical point parameters for liquid alkali metals (sodium and potassium) are calculated accounting for the non-Gaussian order parameter fluctuations and the Morse interaction potential. The behavior of the isothermal compressibility, density fluctuations, and thermal expansion for sodium is studied in the supercritical temperature region. A significant increase in the isothermal compressibility and the density fluctuations near the critical point indicates a substantial density sensitivity to tiny pressure fluctuations. The thermal expansion coefficient for various fixed pressure values shows a typical gas decrease with increasing supercritical temperature. The Widom line separating the gaseous and liquid structures of the fluid at temperatures above the critical one is represented. Note that our calculations are valid in a small neighborhood of the critical point, which is problematic for theoretical and experimental studies.