Density profiles of Ar adsorbed in slits of CO2: Spontaneous symmetry breaking revisited

Abstract

A recently reported symmetry breaking of density profiles of fluid argon confined by two parallel solid walls of carbon dioxide is studied. The calculations are performed in the framework of anonlocal density functional theory. It is shown that the existence of such asymmetrical solutions is restricted to a special choice for the adsorption potential, where the attraction of the solid-fluidinteraction is reduced by the introduction of a hard-wall repulsion. The behavior as a function of the slit´s width is also discussed. All the results are placed in the context of the current knowledgeon this matter.