Multicritical phase diagrams of the antiferromagnetic spin-3/2 Blume-Capel model

The anti ferromagnetic spin-3/2 Blume-Capel model in an external magnetic field is investigated, and the phase diagrams are obtained in detail by using the cluster variation method. The model exhibits distinct critical regions, including the first-order, second-order and special points: two double critical points, a critical end point, a tricritical point and a zero-temperature critical point. The new phase diagram topology is also found that was not obtained previously. Comparison of the results with those of other studies on this, and closely related systems, is made. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved