On the basis of a lattice gas model and the convolution formula with a
cell construction scheme, we demonstrate that intermittency, i.e., th
e power law behavior of the moments in rapidity space, is caused by a
phase transition between the ordered phase and disordered phase with r
espect to the particle number distribution. In this model the critical
moments are directly connected with an order parameter at the phase t
ransition point. The indices of these moments are simply given by the
critical exponent near the critical point. It is pointed out that the
critical indices of this phase transition are not constant, but depend
on the size of the rapidity interval, if the system is not near enoug
h to the critical point.