Phase transitions in cold and warm dense matter

We consider the phase transitions, in dense matter, from nuclei to bubbles and from bubbles to uniform matter. A simplified version of the compressible liquid-drop model allows us to discuss analytically the densities at which the free energies of the different phases are equal, and the density discontinuities of the phases in equilibrium. A reasonable agreement with detailed numerical calculations is obtained only if the compressibility of the matter inside nuclei, and particularly outside bubbles, is taken into account. The dependence of the bubbles-uniform matter transition on the various elements of the Coulomb energy is discussed in detail: the transition is actually a first-order one, but it becomes of second order if the lattice Coulomb energy is turned off. The insight into the effect on the transition of the ratio of surface-plus-Coulomb energy to compression modulus allows us to understand the dependence of the transition densities on temperature and on the microscopic model employed.