A new mean field approach to finite spin systems

Abstract

It is shown that a spin system is equivalent to a set of constrained harmonic oscillators. For finite, but large, systems, a continuous approximation to the density of states can be used, and the oscillator frequencies can be exactly computed. In the phase transition, the effective frequency of the lowest mode passes through zero, that is, it becomes an inverted oscillator. In the small oscillations regime, the oscillators can be treated as independent and the thermodynamic magnitudes can be computed. We show explicit calculations in a disordered, frustrated, high coordination number Blume Capel model with 60,000 spins.