Observation of the doubling of critical exponents in reentrant phase transitions

Electrical resistance (R) measurements are reported for ternary mixtures of 3-methylpyridine, water and heavy water as a function of temperature (T) and heavy water content in total water. These mixtures exhibit a limited two-phase region marked by a loop size (ΔT) that goes to zero as the double critical point (DCP) is approached. The measurements scanned the ΔT range 1.010°C less-than-or-equals, slant ΔT less-than-or-equals, slant 77.5°C. The critical exponent (θ), which signifies the divergence of ∂R/∂T, doubles within our experimental uncertainties as the DCP is reached very closely.