Minima of shear viscosity and thermal conductivity coefficients of classical fluids

Abstract

The shear viscosity and thermal conductivity coefficients of various liquids exhibit minima along certain trajectories on the phase diagram. These minima arise due to the crossover between the momentum and energy transport mechanisms in gas-like and liquid-like regimes. We demonstrate that the magnitudes of the minima are quasi-universal in appropriately reduced units, especially for the viscosity coefficients. Results presented in support of this observation concern the transport properties of three simple model systems with different pairwise interaction potentials (hard spheres, Lennard-Jones, and Coulomb) as well as seven important real atomic and molecular liquids (Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, CH$_4$, CO$_2$, and N$_2$). The minima in viscosity and thermal conductivity represent useful reference points for fluid transport properties.