Scaling of the hysteresis loop in two-dimensional solidification

The first-order phase transitions between a two-dimensional (2d) gas and the 2d solid of the first monolayer have been studied for the noble gases Ar, Kr and Xe on a NaCl(100) surface in quasi-equilibrium with the three-dimensional (3d) gas phase. Using linear temperature ramps, we show that the widths of the hysteresis loops of these transitions as a function of the heating rate, r, scale with a power law proportional to r(alpha), with ct between 0.4 and 0.5 depending on the system. The hysteresis loops for different heating rates are similar. The island area of the condensed layer was found to grow initially with a t(4) time dependence. These results are in agreement with theory, which predicts alpha = 0.5 and hysteresis loop similarity.