New mean-field theories for the liquid-vapour transition of charged hard spheres

The phase behaviour of the primitive model of electrolytes is studied in the framework of the various mean-field approximations obtained recently by means of methods pertaining to statistical field theory (J.-M. Caillol, J. statist. Phys., 115, 1461 (2004); extended version: arXiv:cond-mat/0305465). The role of the regularization of the Coulomb potential at short distances is discussed in detail and the link to more traditional approximations of the theory of liquids is discussed. The values computed for the critical temperatures, chemical potentials, and densities are compared with available Monte Carlo data and other theoretical predictions.