Does the phase transition exist in the one-component plasma model?

Explanations are given for why there is no real first-order phase transition in the one-component plasma (OCP) model. The fluid (liquid) and crystalline states of the OCP observed in computer experiments are not in equilibrium, on account of instability of the system. However, specific features of the free energy suggest that some sort of a “virtual” phase transition occurs in the model. Such a transition can be turned real by choosing the right form of the background energy. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 1, 82–85 (10 January 1997) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.