Percus-Yevick theory of correlation functions and nucleation effects in the sticky hard-sphere model

Abstract

We use the Percus-Yevick approximation to study indirect correlation functions in the sticky hard-sphere model introduced by Baxter. The model has a critical point below which there is a liquid gas transition. We illustrate the changes in the structure of the correlation function as the density increases on the critical isotherm and on supercritical and subcritical isotherms. We also examine the local effects on this structure of introducing a large isolated sticky particle. For the gas part of the subcritical isotherm, such a particle can act as a condensation nucleus. We examine the dependence of the structure changes on the radius of the large particle.