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arXiv · 2511.22494

The Second Gibbs Paradox

Daan Frenkel
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Abstract

In his Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances Gibbs seems to suggest that the chemical potential of a crystal nucleus need not be equal to that of the coexisting fluid. In the field, Gibbs's statement has been something of a hot potato. I argue that a consistent treatment of point defects in the critical nucleus is essential for clarifying the meaning of the chemical potential of the nucleus. In the end -- as always -- Gibbs was right.

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Daan Frenkel. 2025-11-27. The Second Gibbs Paradox. https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.22494

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