Critical holes in undercooled wetting layers

The profile of a critical hole in an undercooled wetting layer is determined by the saddle-point equation of a standard interface Hamiltonian supported by convenient boundary conditions. It is shown that this saddle-point equation can be mapped onto an autonomous dynamical system in a three-dimensional phase space. The corresponding flux has a polynomial form and in general displays four fixed points, each with different stability properties. On the basis of this picture we derive the thermodynamic behaviour of critical holes in three different nucleation regimes of the phase diagram.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX, 6 figures Postscript, submitted to J. Phys.

Coherent State path-integral simulation of many particle systems

The coherent state path integral formulation of certain many particle systems allows for their non perturbative study by the techniques of lattice field theory. In this paper we exploit this strategy by simulating the explicit example of the diffusion controlled reaction $A+A\to 0$. Our results are consistent with some renormalization group-based predictions thus clarifying the continuum limit of the action of the problem.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures. Minor corrections. Acknowledgement and reference correcte

Unified Solution of the Expected Maximum of a Random Walk and the Discrete Flux to a Spherical Trap

Two random-walk related problems which have been studied independently in the past, the expected maximum of a random walker in one dimension and the flux to a spherical trap of particles undergoing discrete jumps in three dimensions, are shown to be closely related to each other and are studied using a unified approach as a solution to a Wiener-Hopf problem. For the flux problem, this work shows that a constant c = 0.29795219 which appeared in the context of the boundary extrapolation length, and was previously found only numerically, can be derived explicitly. The same constant enters in higher-order corrections to the expected-maximum asymptotics. As a byproduct, we also prove a new universal result in the context of the flux problem which is an analogue of the Sparre Andersen theorem proved in the context of the random walker's maximum.Comment: Two figs. Accepted for publication, Journal of Statistical Physic

Kovacs effect and fluctuation-dissipation relations in 1D kinetically constrained models

Strong and fragile glass relaxation behaviours are obtained simply changing the constraints of the kinetically constrained Ising chain from symmetric to purely asymmetric. We study the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of those two models focusing on the Kovacs effect and the fluctuation--dissipation relations. The Kovacs or memory effect, commonly observed in structural glasses, is present for both constraints but enhanced with the asymmetric ones. Most surprisingly, the related fluctuation-dissipation (FD) relations satisfy the FD theorem in both cases. This result strongly differs from the simple quenching procedure where the asymmetric model presents strong deviations from the FD theorem.Comment: 13 pages and 7 figures. To be published in J. Phys.

Subdiffusion-limited reactions

We consider the coagulation dynamics A+A -> A and A+A A and the annihilation dynamics A+A -> 0 for particles moving subdiffusively in one dimension. This scenario combines the "anomalous kinetics" and "anomalous diffusion" problems, each of which leads to interesting dynamics separately and to even more interesting dynamics in combination. Our analysis is based on the fractional diffusion equation

Exponents appearing in heterogeneous reaction-diffusion models in one dimension

We study the following 1D two-species reaction diffusion model : there is a small concentration of B-particles with diffusion constant $D_B$ in an homogenous background of W-particles with diffusion constant $D_W$; two W-particles of the majority species either coagulate ($W+W \longrightarrow W$) or annihilate ($W+W \longrightarrow \emptyset$) with the respective probabilities $p_c=(q-2)/(q-1)$ and $p_a=1/(q-1)$; a B-particle and a W-particle annihilate ($W+B \longrightarrow \emptyset$) with probability 1. The exponent $\theta(q,\lambda=D_B/D_W)$ describing the asymptotic time decay of the minority B-species concentration can be viewed as a generalization of the exponent of persistent spins in the zero-temperature Glauber dynamics of the 1D $q$-state Potts model starting from a random initial condition : the W-particles represent domain walls, and the exponent $\theta(q,\lambda)$ characterizes the time decay of the probability that a diffusive "spectator" does not meet a domain wall up to time $t$. We extend the methods introduced by Derrida, Hakim and Pasquier ({\em Phys. Rev. Lett.} {\bf 75} 751 (1995); Saclay preprint T96/013, to appear in {\em J. Stat. Phys.} (1996)) for the problem of persistent spins, to compute the exponent $\theta(q,\lambda)$ in perturbation at first order in $(q-1)$ for arbitrary $\lambda$ and at first order in $\lambda$ for arbitrary $q$.Comment: 29 pages. The three figures are not included, but are available upon reques

Exactly solvable models through the empty interval method

The most general one dimensional reaction-diffusion model with nearest-neighbor interactions, which is exactly-solvable through the empty interval method, has been introduced. Assuming translationally-invariant initial conditions, the probability that $n$ consecutive sites are empty ($E_n$), has been exactly obtained. In the thermodynamic limit, the large-time behavior of the system has also been investigated. Releasing the translational invariance of the initial conditions, the evolution equation for the probability that $n$ consecutive sites, starting from the site $k$, are empty ($E_{k,n}$) is obtained. In the thermodynamic limit, the large time behavior of the system is also considered. Finally, the continuum limit of the model is considered, and the empty-interval probability function is obtained.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX2

Reaction Kinetics of Clustered Impurities

We study the density of clustered immobile reactants in the diffusion-controlled single species annihilation. An initial state in which these impurities occupy a subspace of codimension d' leads to a substantial enhancement of their survival probability. The Smoluchowski rate theory suggests that the codimensionality plays a crucial role in determining the long time behavior. The system undergoes a transition at d'=2. For d'<2, a finite fraction of the impurities survive: ni(t) ~ ni(infinity)+const x log(t)/t^{1/2} for d=2 and ni(t) ~ ni(infinity)+const/t^{1/2} for d>2. Above this critical codimension, d'>=2, the subspace decays indefinitely. At the critical codimension, inverse logarithmic decay occurs, ni(t) ~ log(t)^{-a(d,d')}. Above the critical codimension, the decay is algebraic ni(t) ~ t^{-a(d,d')}. In general, the exponents governing the long time behavior depend on the dimension as well as the codimension.Comment: 10 pages, late

Decoherent Histories Approach to the Arrival Time Problem

We use the decoherent histories approach to quantum theory to compute the probability of a non-relativistic particle crossing $x=0$ during an interval of time. For a system consisting of a single non-relativistic particle, histories coarse-grained according to whether or not they pass through spacetime regions are generally not decoherent, except for very special initial states, and thus probabilities cannot be assigned. Decoherence may, however, be achieved by coupling the particle to an environment consisting of a set of harmonic oscillators in a thermal bath. Probabilities for spacetime coarse grainings are thus calculated by considering restricted density operator propagators of the quantum Brownian motion model. We also show how to achieve decoherence by replicating the system $N$ times and then projecting onto the number density of particles that cross during a given time interval, and this gives an alternative expression for the crossing probability. The latter approach shows that the relative frequency for histories is approximately decoherent for sufficiently large $N$, a result related to the Finkelstein-Graham-Hartle theorem.Comment: 42 pages, plain Te

A Method of Intervals for the Study of Diffusion-Limited Annihilation, A + A --> 0

We introduce a method of intervals for the analysis of diffusion-limited annihilation, A+A -> 0, on the line. The method leads to manageable diffusion equations whose interpretation is intuitively clear. As an example, we treat the following cases: (a) annihilation in the infinite line and in infinite (discrete) chains; (b) annihilation with input of single particles, adjacent particle pairs, and particle pairs separated by a given distance; (c) annihilation, A+A -> 0, along with the birth reaction A -> 3A, on finite rings, with and without diffusion.Comment: RevTeX, 13 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. References Added, and some other minor changes, to conform with final for