Chemical model reactions are discussed the steady states of which show the phenomenon of non equilibrium phase transitions. One example shows a phase transition of second order, another one shows a phase transition of first order. If diffusion occurs in the case of first order transition, coexistence of two phases in different domains is possible. For plane boundary layers between the domains the coexistence states are found by a construction analogous to the Maxwellian construction of vapor pressure of a Van der Waals gas. For spherical domains the coexistence dates change similarly as vapor pressure of droplets or bubbles with radius.
The statistical deduction of a stability criterion for steady states (a generalization of the Glansdorff-Prigogine criterion) given in a previous paper is extended in some respects. Dynamical coefficients for the motion of small deviations from a steady state are expressed by correlation functions. The stability criterion is applied to some models of chemical reactions and to a model for second break-down in semiconductors.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.