  We report that the thermally-induced Mott transition in vanadium sesquioxide
shows critical-slowing-down and enhanced variance ('critical opalescence') of
the order parameter fluctuations measured through low-frequency
resistance-noise spectroscopy. Coupled with the observed increase of also the
phase-ordering time, these features suggest that the strong abrupt transition
is controlled by a critical-like singularity in the hysteretic metastable
phase. The singularity is identified with the spinodal point and is a likely
consequence of the strain-induced long-range interaction.

Statistical Mechanics;Strongly Correlated Electrons