Liquid-vapor adiabatic phase changes and related phenomena

Abstract

Adiabatic phase changes in liquid-vapor systems are described experimentally and theoretically. The emphasis is on real systems, with departures from equilibrium (metastability). The phase changes are driven by pressure differences and tend to be rapid. Typically, the phase changes occur across shockfronts. Analog systems are also described. In the liquid-vapor systems, at least five distinct phase changes have been discovered within recent years. Several of the phenomena were not predicted in advance. The discoveries reported here were made by various researchers, including co-authors of this book.