Non-isotropic solution of an OZ equation: matrix methods for integral equations

Abstract

Integral equations of the Ornstein-Zernike (OZ) type have been useful constructs in the theory of liquids for nearly a century. Only a limited number of model systems yield an analytic solution; the rest must be solved numerically. For anisotropic systems the numerical problems are heightened by the coupling of more unknowns and equations. A matrix method for solving the full anisotropic OZ integral equation is presented. The method is compared in the isotropic limit with traditional approaches. Examples are given for a 1-D fluid with a corrugated (periodic) external potential. The full two point correlation functions for both isotropic and anisotropic systems are given and discussed.