Positional information as a universal predictor of freezing

Abstract

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