Scaling Approach to Tricritical Phase Transitions

Abstract

Scaling laws for multicomponent systems near the tricritical point are derived by relating the "scales" of the competing second-order and tricritical phase transitions. The approach leads to a consistent description of the thermodynamics of the superfluid and phase-separation transitions in ${\mathrm{He}}^3$-${\mathrm{He}}^4$ mixtures.