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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Specific heat studies of ortho-deuterium monolayers physisorbed on graphite

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The specific heat of ortho-deuterium monolayers physisorbed on graphite (Grafoil) has been studied in detail at about 100 coverages in the total density range below monolayer completion and at temperatures between 2 and 40 K. Several interesting new features were observed: At the completion of the commensurate 3 × 33 R30° phase the system undergoes an order-disorder transition at T = 18.1 K. This temperature turns out to be 2.34 K lower than that of para-hydrogen on graphite, which elucidates the significant influence of the quantum zero-point energy on these systems. From the heat-capacity data a value of 0.31 ± 0.02 is deduced for the critical exponent a which is in good agreement with the 3-state Potts value. At the commensurate-incommensurate transition the occurrence of four different new solid intermediate phases is found. A phase diagram of ortho-deuterium on graphite is proposed and compared to that of other two-dimensional quantum systems.