Predicting the gas-liquid critical point from the second virial coefficient

Abstract

We show that whereas the critical point is very sensitive to the range of interaction, the second virial coefficient has a fairly constant value at the critical temperature. This enables us to predict the critical temperature with fair accuracy. We discuss the connection between the second virial coefficient as a predictor for the critical temperature and the second virial coefficient as predictor in crystal growth as was proposed by George and Wilson (A. George and W. W. Wilson, Acta Crystallogr., Sec. D: Biol. Crystallogr. 50, 361 (1994).