Nature of Asymmetry in Fluid Criticality

By combining accurate liquid-vapor coexistence and heat-capacity data, we have unambiguously separated two nonanalytical contributions of liquid-gas asymmetry in fluid criticality and showed the validity of "complete scaling" [Fisher, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 696 (2000)10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.696; Phys. Rev. E 67, 061506 (2003)10.1103/PhysRevE.67.061506]. We have also developed a method to obtain two scaling-field coefficients, responsible for the two sources of the asymmetry, from mean-field equations of state. Since the asymmetry effects are completely determined by Ising critical exponents, there is no practical need for a special renormalization-group theoretical treatment of asymmetric fluid criticality.