Locating fixed points in the phase plane

Abstract

The critical point is a fixed point in finite-size scaling. To quantify the behaviour of such a fixed point, we define, at a given temperature and scaling exponent ratio, the width of scaled observables for different sizes. The minimum of the width reveals the position of fixed point, its corresponding phase transition temperature, and scaling exponent ratio. The value of this ratio tells the nature of fixed point, which can be a critical point, a point of the first order phase transition line, or a point of the crossover region. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this method, we apply it to three typical samples produced by the 3D three-state Potts model. Results show the method to be more precise and effective than conventional methods. Finally, we discuss a possible application at the beam energy scan program of relativistic heavy-Ion collision.