Positional information as a universal predictor of freezing

Abstract

Variation of positional information, measured by the two-body excess entropy $\S{2}$, is studied across the liquid-solid equilibrium transition in a simple two-dimensional system. Analysis reveals a master relation between $\S{2}$ and the freezing temperature $\Tf$, from which a scaling law is extracted: $-\S{2}\sim (T-\Tf)^{-1/3}$. Theoretical and practical implications of the observed universality are discussed.