Andrews, Baxter, and Forrester have recently solved two infinite sequences of models that are generalizations of the Ising and hard-square models and exhibit multicriticality. The nature of these new two-dimensional multicritical points is examined in order to determine what universality classes they may represent. Appropriate order parameters are defined and their critical exponents reported. One infinite sequence of multicritical points are continuous melting transitions of $p\times 1$ commensurate ordered phases for all integers $p\ge 2$. The other sequence appears to consist of "generic" multicritical points terminating lines of $n$-phase coexistence, again for all integers $n\ge 2$. The multicritical exponents in this latter sequence coincide with those found by Friedan, Qiu, and Shenker on the basis of assuming conformal invariance and unitarity.

• Received 11 May 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.30.3908