Anomalous nucleation far from equilibrium

Perpendicular and parallel phase separation in two-species driven diffusive lattice gases

We study three different lattice models in which two species of diffusing particles are driven in opposite directions by an electric field. We focus on dynamical phase transitions that involve phase separation into domains that may be parallel or perpendicular to a driving field. In all cases, the perpendicular state appears for weak driving, consistent with previous work. For strong driving, we introduce two models that support the parallel state. In one model, this state occurs because of the inclusion of dynamical rules that enhance lateral diffusion during collisions; in the other, it is a result of a nearest-neighbor attractive or repulsive interaction between particles of the same or opposite species. We discuss the connections between these results and the behavior found in off-lattice systems, including laning and freezing by heating.

Theoretical analysis and simulation of phase separation in a driven bidirectional two-lane system

The two-lane driven system is a type of important model to research some transport systems, and also a powerful tool to investigate properties of nonequilibrium state systems. This paper presents a driven bidirectional two-lane model. The dynamic characteristics of the model with periodic boundary are investigated by Monte Carlo simulation, simple mean field, and cluster mean field methods, respectively. By simulations, phase separations are observed in the system with some values of model parameters. When the phase separation does not occur, cluster mean field results are in good agreement with simulation results. According to the cluster mean field analysis and simulations, a conjecture about the condition that the phase separation happens is proposed. Based on the conjecture, the phase boundary distinguishing phase separation state and homogeneous state is determined, and a corresponding phase diagram is drawn. The conjecture is validated through observing directly the spatiotemporal diagram and investigating the coarsening process of the system by simulation, and a possible mechanism causing the phase separation is also discussed. These outcomes maybe contribute to understand deeply transport systems including the congestion and efficiency of the transport, and enrich explorations of nonequilibrium state systems.

Theoretical analysis and simulation for a facilitated asymmetric exclusion process

Driven diffusive systems are important models in nonequilibrium state statistical mechanics. This paper studies an asymmetric exclusion process model with nearest rear neighbor interactions associated with energy. The exact flux expression of the model is obtained by a cluster mean-field method. Based on the flux expression, the properties of the fundamental diagram have been investigated in detail. To probe the energy's influence on the coarsening process of the system, Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to acquire the monotonic phase boundary in energy-density space. Above the phase boundary, the system is inhomogeneous and the normalized residence distribution p(s) is nonmonotonically decreasing. Under the phase boundary, the system is homogeneous and p(s) is monotonically decreasing. Further study comparatively shows that the system has turned into a microscopic inhomogeneous state from a homogeneous state before the system current arrives at maximum, if nearest rear neighbor interactions are strong. Our findings offer insights to deeply understand the dynamic features of nonequilibrium state systems.

Bulk induced phase transition in driven diffusive systems

This paper studies a weakly and asymmetrically coupled three-lane driven diffusive system. A non-monotonically changing density profile in the middle lane has been observed. When the extreme value of the density profile reaches ρ = 0.5, a bulk induced phase transition occurs which exhibits a shock and a continuously and smoothly decreasing density profile which crosses ρ = 0.5 upstream or downstream of the shock. The existence of double shocks has also been observed. A mean-field approach has been used to interpret the numerical results obtained by Monte Carlo simulations. The current minimization principle has excluded the occurrence of two or more bulk induced shocks in the general case of nonzero lane changing rates.

Phase diagrams of the Katz-Lebowitz-Spohn process on lattices with a junction

This paper studies the Katz-Lebowitz-Spohn (KLS) process on lattices with a junction, where particles move on parallel lattice branches that combine into a single lattice at the junction. It is shown that 11 kinds of phase diagrams could be observed, depending on the two parameters ε and δ in the KLS process. We have investigated the phase diagrams as well as bulk density analytically based on flow rate conservation and the extremal current principle. Extensive Monte Carlo computer simulations are performed, and it is found that they are in excellent agreement with theoretical prediction.

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=qc. 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).

Domain wall delocalization, dynamics and fluctuations in an exclusion process with two internal states

We investigate the delocalization transition appearing in an exclusion process with two internal states, respectively on two parallel lanes. At the transition, delocalized domain walls form in the density profiles of both internal states, in agreement with a mean-field approach. Remarkably, the topology of the system's phase diagram allows for the delocalization of a (localized) domain wall when approaching the transition. We quantify the domain wall's delocalization close to the transition by analytic results obtained within the framework of the domain wall picture. Power law dependences of the domain wall width on the distance to the delocalization transition as well as on the system size are uncovered, they agree with numerical results.

Levitation, lift, and bidirectional motion of colloidal particles in an electrically driven nematic liquid crystal

We study electric-field-induced dynamics of colloids in a nematic cell, experimentally and by computer simulations. Solid particles in the nematic bulk create director distortions of dipolar type. Elastic repulsion from the walls keeps the particles in the middle of cell. The ac electric field reorients the dipoles and lifts them to top or bottom, depending on dipole orientation. Once near the walls, the colloids are carried along two antiparallel horizontal directions by nematic backflow. Computer simulations of the backflow agree with the experiment.

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.