Existence of a critical point in the phase diagram of the ideal relativistic neutral Bose gas

Abstract

We explore the phase transitions of the ideal relativistic neutral Bose gas confined in a cubic box, without assuming the thermodynamic limit nor continuous approximation. While the corresponding non-relativistic canonical partition function is essentially a one-variable function depending on a particular combination of temperature and volume, the relativistic canonical partition function is genuinely a two-variable function of them. Based on an exact expression for the canonical partition function, we performed numerical computations for up to 105 particles. We report that if the number of particles is equal to or greater than a critical value, which amounts to 7616, the ideal relativistic neutral Bose gas features a spinodal curve with a critical point. This enables us to depict the phase diagram of the ideal Bose gas. The consequent phase transition is first order below the critical pressure or second order at the critical pressure. The exponents corresponding to the singularities are 1/2 and 2/3, respectively. We also verify the recently observed ‘Widom line’ in the supercritical region.