Freezing transition of monolayer xenon on graphite

This paper reports a high-resolution synchrotron x-ray scattering study of the freezing transition as a function of temperature and chemical potential of the two-dimensional continuous-symmetry system monolayer xenon on graphite. It is found that for a coverage of 1.1 monolayers the transition is continuous to within the substrate-determined resolution with fluid correlation lengths exceeding 100 atomic spacings. Comparison is made with current theories of solidification in two dimensions. © 1982 The American Physical Society.