Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2203.16580

What's for Lunch? A systematic ordering of foods in the Soup-Salad-Sandwich phase space

Madelyn Leembruggen·Caroline Martin
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The statistical physics of phase transitions has been hugely successful at describing numerous natural, physical, and technological phenomena, and now a rigorous examination of the phase space of the culinary regime is likewise ripe for the picking. Despite great demand for the resolution of many scientific debates over the taxonomy of food, past attempts have failed to account for complex phase behavior and co-existence, and have thus left the public hungry for a more substantial theory. By applying the principles of statistical physics and thermodynamics, we here map out the complete phase space of all culinary dishes and find three distinct phase regimes: Soup, Salad, and Sandwich. We consider the effect of different state variables on these phase boundaries, as well as regions of co-existence and triple points. With this complete 3-dimensional phase diagram of all foods, we can conclusively answer many bitter debates, including the imperishable question "is a hotdog a sandwich?" The answer: yes.

Explore related subjects

physics.pop-phcond-mat.soft

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Madelyn Leembruggen, Caroline Martin. 2022-03-30. What's for Lunch? A systematic ordering of foods in the Soup-Salad-Sandwich phase space. https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.16580

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Understanding Quaternions and the Dirac Belt Trick

The Dirac belt trick is often employed in physics classrooms to show that a $2π$ rotation is not topologically equivalent to the absence of rotation whereas a $4π$ rotation is, mirroring a key property of quaternions and their isomorphic cousins, spinors. The belt trick can leave the student wondering if a real understanding of quaternions and spinors has been achieved, or if the trick is just an amusing analogy. The goal of this paper is to demystify the belt trick and to show that it implies an underlying \emph{four-dimensional} parameter space for rotations that is simply connected. An investigation into the geometry of this four-dimensional space leads directly to the system of quaternions, and to an interpretation of three-dimensional vectors as the generators of rotations in this larger four-dimensional world. The paper also shows why quaternions are the natural extension of complex numbers to four dimensions. The level of the paper is suitable for undergraduate students of physics.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2026

Project Setu: 3D Multi-Physics Design and Scaled Structural Analysis for a Relativistic Lightsail Architecture

Deep-space exploration beyond the solar system requires eliminating chemical propellant mass penalties to achieve relativistic flight velocities (0.166c at 180 s, reaching the mission target of 0.20c at 227 s). This study presents a 3D multi-physics numerical framework for a 4.0-meter circular lightsail propelled by a 100 GW ground laser array, coupling 3D Maxwell FDTD wave optics, non-linear membrane mechanics, and Stefan-Boltzmann thermal radiation in ANSYS Mechanical APDL and Ansys Lumerical. A four-level grid convergence study establishes numerical independence with an ASME GCI_21 of 0.13%, resolving peak membrane stresses of 530.88 MPa with a 3.77x safety factor against stoichiometric Si3N4 tensile failure. With optical absorption constrained to 10 ppm (A = 1.0 x 10^-5), the steady-state core temperature stabilizes at 923.02 K (0.44% deviation from radiation theory), maintaining a +1,247 K margin below sublimation, while fundamental drumhead modal resonance (7.92 Hz) provides a 7.92x safety buffer against laser jitter. The electrodynamic radiation pressure formulation is cross-verified against published flight telemetry from JAXA IKAROS and NASA LightSail 2 within 0.12% and 2.13%, confirming classical momentum transfer modeling across solar and beamed propulsion regimes.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2026

Sunsets, tall buildings and the Earth's radius

It is shown how repeated observations of the sunset from various points up a tall building can be used to determine the Earth's radius. The same observations can also be used, at some latitudes, to deduce an approximate value for the amount of atmospheric refraction at the horizon.

physics.pop-ph↗