Stationary correlations for a far-from-equilibrium spin chain

A kinetic one-dimensional Ising model on a ring evolves according to a generalization of Glauber rates, such that spins at even (odd) lattice sites experience a temperature $T_{e}$ ($T_{o}$). Detailed balance is violated so that the spin chain settles into a non-equilibrium stationary state, characterized by multiple interactions of increasing range and spin order. We derive the equations of motion for arbitrary correlation functions and solve them to obtain an exact representation of the steady state. Two nontrivial amplitudes reflect the sublattice symmetries; otherwise, correlations decay exponentially, modulo the periodicity of the ring. In the long chain limit, they factorize into products of two-point functions, in precise analogy to the equilibrium Ising chain. The exact solution confirms the expectation, based on simulations and renormalization group arguments, that the long-time, long-distance behavior of this two-temperature model is Ising-like, in spite of the apparent complexity of the stationary distribution.Comment: 9 page

Anomalous nucleation far from equilibrium

We present precision Monte Carlo data and analytic arguments for an asymmetric exclusion process, involving two species of particles driven in opposite directions on a $2 \times L$ lattice. We propose a scenario which resolves a stark discrepancy between earlier simulation data, suggesting the existence of an ordered phase, and an analytic conjecture according to which the system should revert to a disordered state in the thermodynamic limit. By analyzing the finite size effects in detail, we argue that the presence of a single, seemingly macroscopic, cluster is an intermediate stage of a complex nucleation process: In smaller systems, this cluster is destabilized while larger systems allow the formation of multiple clusters. Both limits lead to exponential cluster size distributions which are, however, controlled by very different length scales.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, one colum

Driven Diffusive Systems: An Introduction and Recent Developments

Nonequilibrium steady states in driven diffusive systems exhibit many features which are surprising or counterintuitive, given our experience with equilibrium systems. We introduce the prototype model and review its unusual behavior in different temperature regimes, from both a simulational and analytic view point. We then present some recent work, focusing on the phase diagrams of driven bi-layer systems and two-species lattice gases. Several unresolved puzzles are posed.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Physics Reports vol. 299, June 199

Steady States of a Nonequilibrium Lattice Gas

We present a Monte Carlo study of a lattice gas driven out of equilibrium by a local hopping bias. Sites can be empty or occupied by one of two types of particles, which are distinguished by their response to the hopping bias. All particles interact via excluded volume and a nearest-neighbor attractive force. The main result is a phase diagram with three phases: a homogeneous phase, and two distinct ordered phases. Continuous boundaries separate the homogeneous phase from the ordered phases, and a first-order line separates the two ordered phases. The three lines merge in a nonequilibrium bicritical point.Comment: 14 pages, 24 figure

Novel Quenched Disorder Fixed Point in a Two-Temperature Lattice Gas

We investigate the effects of quenched randomness on the universal properties of a two-temperature lattice gas. The disorder modifies the dynamical transition rates of the system in an anisotropic fashion, giving rise to a new fixed point. We determine the associated scaling form of the structure factor, quoting critical exponents to two-loop order in an expansion around the upper critical dimension d$_c=7$. The close relationship with another quenched disorder fixed point, discovered recently in this model, is discussed.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, RevTe

Slow dynamics in a driven two-lane particle system

We study a two-lane model of two-species of particles that perform biased diffusion. Extensive numerical simulations show that when bias q is strong enough oppositely drifting particles form some clusters that block each other. Coarsening of such clusters is very slow and their size increases logarithmically in time. For smaller q particles collapse essentially on a single cluster whose size seems to diverge at a certain value of q=q_c. Simulations show that despite slow coarsening, the model has rather large power-law cooling-rate effects. It makes its dynamics different from glassy systems, but similar to some three-dimensional Ising-type models (gonihedric models).Comment: minor changes, final versio

Universality classes in anisotropic non-equilibrium growth models

We study the effect of generic spatial anisotropies on the scaling behavior in the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation. In contrast to its "conserved" variants, anisotropic perturbations are found to be relevant in d > 2 dimensions, leading to rich phenomena that include novel universality classes and the possibility of first-order phase transitions and multicritical behavior. These results question the presumed scaling universality in the strong-coupling rough phase, and shed further light on the connection with generalized driven diffusive systems.Comment: 4 pages, revtex, 2 figures (eps files enclosed