Shape of the liquid-vapor coexistence curve for temperature and density dependent effective interactions.

The asymmetry of the coexistence curve that is observed in several micellar systems is discussed in relation with the dependence of the effective interaction on temperature and density. Standard results for the diameter of the coexistence curve in the van der Waals theory are generalized so as to deal with this combined dependence. The qualitative trends so deduced are assessed by comparison with coexistence curves of Yukawa fluids computed with integral equation theories. The role of the variables used to plot the coexistence curve and the nonlinear behavior of its diameter beyond the critical region are discussed in relation with the decrease of the interaction strength with density. The possibility of using the asymmetry of the coexistence curve as an indicator of the state dependence of the effective interaction is finally discussed.