Crossover between ordinary and normal transitions in the presence of a bulk field - art. no. 026126

We investigate two-dimensional Ising films at the critical temperature T-c and nonzero bulk magnetic field h using the density-matrix renormalization- group method. The crossover beween ordinary (h(1) = 0) and normal (h(1) = i nfinity) transitions corresponding to finite values of the surface fields h (1) = h(2), is studied. The structure and the solvation force f(solv) as a function of h, crucially depend on the value of h(1). Scaling functions for f(solv) and the longitudinal correlation length are given and discussed.