Criticality

Criticality may refer to:

Physics terms

• Critical phenomena, the collective name associated with the physics of critical points
  • Critical point (thermodynamics), the end point of a phase equilibrium curve
  • Quantum critical point, a special class of continuous phase transition that takes place at absolute zero

Nuclear-physics terms

• Criticality (status), the state in which a nuclear chain reaction is self-sustaining
  • Prompt criticality, the criticality that is achieved with prompt neutrons alone
  • Critical mass, the minimum mass of the nuclear reactor's fissionable material that can achieve criticality
• Criticality accident, an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction
• Nuclear criticality safety, the prevention of nuclear and radiation accidents resulting from an inadvertent, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction

Other terms

• Critical thinking, in education
• Criticality index, in risk analysis
• Criticality matrix, a representation (often graphical) of failure modes along with their probabilities and severities
• Self-organized criticality, a property of (classes of) dynamical systems which have a critical point as an attractor