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Article
Anomalous Nucleation Far from Equilibrium
Physical Review Letters (2005)
  • I. T. Georgiev, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • Beate Schmittmann, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • R. K. P. Zia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Abstract

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×L lattice. To resolve a stark discrepancy between earlier simulation data and an analytic conjecture, we argue that the presence of a single macroscopic cluster is an intermediate stage of a complex nucleation process: in smaller systems, this cluster is destabilized while larger systems form multiple clusters. Both limits lead to exponential cluster size distributions, controlled by very different length scales.

Publication Date
March 23, 2005
Publisher Statement
Copyright 2005 The American Physical Society. Posted with permission.
Citation Information
I. T. Georgiev, Beate Schmittmann and R. K. P. Zia. "Anomalous Nucleation Far from Equilibrium" Physical Review Letters Vol. 94 (2005)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/beate_schmittmann/14/