Criticality in multicomponent spherical models : results and cautions

To enable the study of criticality in multicomponent fluids, the standard spherical model is generalized to describe an $\ns$-species hard core lattice gas. On introducing $\ns$ spherical constraints, the free energy may be expressed generally in terms of an $\ns\times\ns$ matrix describing the species interactions. For binary systems, thermodynamic properties have simple expressions, while all the pair correlation functions are combinations of just two eigenmodes. When only hard-core and short-range overall attractive interactions are present, a choice of variables relates the behavior to that of one-component systems. Criticality occurs on a locus terminating a coexistence surface; however, except at some special points, an unexpected ``demagnetization effect'' suppresses the normal divergence of susceptibilities at criticality and distorts two-phase coexistence. This effect, unphysical for fluids, arises from a general lack of symmetry and from the vectorial and multicomponent character of the spherical model. Its origin can be understood via a mean-field treatment of an XY spin system below criticality.