Wiktionary
n. (context physics English) The transition between thermodynamic phases of a physical system, especially one between the solid, liquid, and gaseous phases of a substance.
WordNet
n. a change from one state (solid or liquid or gas) to another without a change in chemical composition [syn: phase change, state change, physical change]
Wikipedia
The term phase transition is most commonly used to describe transitions between solid, liquid and gaseous states of matter, and, in rare cases, plasma. A phase of a thermodynamic system and the states of matter have uniform physical properties. During a phase transition of a given medium certain properties of the medium change, often discontinuously, as a result of the change of some external condition, such as temperature, pressure, or others. For example, a liquid may become gas upon heating to the boiling point, resulting in an abrupt change in volume. The measurement of the external conditions at which the transformation occurs is termed the phase transition. Phase transitions are common in nature and used today in many technologies.
Usage examples of "phase transition".
She's working on historical dynamics and the coming phase transition.
So you can throw in a lot of heat and instead of the stuff getting hotter, it changes state, a so-called phase transition.
Conversely, when a substance cools through a phase transition, it gives off a lot of heat.
I'm not familiar enough with autocatalytic set theory to understand the details, but it seems that a distinct phase transition is taking place.
The phase transition coils enclosed within the elevated platform produced the steady, high-pitched drone, an electronic synthesis between the device's hurricane howl and down-cycling hum.
He was certain that the intermittent, low-frequency whistle early yesterday was announcing another mission phase transition.
It's as though we've been moving along a surface for a long time now, many centuries, and now we are about to undergo a phase transition or fall off the cusp of the phase space.
If you would care to accompany me, we can review the adjustments you made to the phase transition coils before we perform another test.
Ever so carefully, he modulated the gain in the phase transition coils and sent more power to the pattern buffer.