Scale-free patterns at a saddle-node bifurcation in a stochastic system

We demonstrate that scale-free patterns are observed in a spatially extended stochastic system whose deterministic part undergoes a saddle-node bifurcation. Remarkably, the scale-free patterns appear only at a particular time in relaxation processes from a spatially homogeneous initial condition. We characterize the scale-free nature in terms of the spatial configuration of the exiting time from a marginal saddle where the pair annihilation of a saddle and a node occurs at the bifurcation point. Critical exponents associated with the scale-free patterns are determined by numerical experiments.