Related papers: Euclidean Dynamical Triangulation revisited: is th…
We study the consequences of Coulomb interactions on a system undergoing a putative first order phase transition. In two dimensions (2D), near the critical density, the system is universally unstable to the formation of new intermediate…
This dissertation describes the effect of quenched randomness on first order phase transitions in lattice systems, classical and quantum. It is proven that a large class of quantum lattice systems in low dimension (d <= 2 or, with suitable…
The statement that any phase transition is related to the appearance or disappearance of long-range spatial correlations precludes a finite transition temperature in one-dimensional (1D) systems. In this paper we demonstrate that the 1D…
A synthetic fluid dynamo built in the spirit of the Bullard device [E. C. Bullard, Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc., 51, 744 (1955)] is investigated. It is a two-step dynamo in which one process stems from the fluid turbulence, while the other part…
We investigate the first-order phase transitions of the $q$-state Potts models with $q = 5, 6, 7$, and $8$ on the two-dimensional square lattice, using Monte Carlo simulations. At the very weakly first-order transition of the $q=5$ system,…
In order to study the validity of analytical formulas used in the calculation of characteristic physical quantities related to vacuum bubbles, we conduct several numerical simulations of bubble kinematics in the context of cosmological…
Relying on the recently proposed multicanonical algorithm, we present a numerical simulation of the first order phase transition in the 2d 10-state Potts model on lattices up to sizes $100\times100$. It is demonstrated that the new…
Cellular automata are widely used to model natural or artificial systems. Classically they are run with perfect synchrony, i.e., the local rule is applied to each cell at each time step. A possible modification of the updating scheme…
Elegant integration schemes of second and fourth order for simulations of rigid body systems are presented which treat translational and rotational motion on the same footing. This is made possible by a recent implementation of the exact…
We study the low-temperature properties of the classical three-dimensional compass or $t_{2g}$ orbital model on simple-cubic lattices by means of comprehensive large-scale Monte Carlo simulations. Our numerical results give evidence for a…
A system of N classical particles in a 2D periodic cell interacting via long-range attractive potential is studied. For low energy density $U$ a collapsed phase is identified, while in the high energy limit the particles are homogeneously…
Uncovering and understanding universal dynamics in matter far from equilibrium remains a key challenge. In this work, we identify a so far unrecognized form of universal behavior that emerges after a sudden symmetry-breaking quench at…
First-order irreversible phase transitions (IPT's) between an active regime and an absorbing state are studied in two models by means of both simulations and mean-field stability analysis. Hysteresis around coexistence is the result of the…
The dynamics at the critical-point of a general first-order quantum phase transition in a finite system is examined, from an algebraic perspective. Suitable Hamiltonians are constructed whose spectra exhibit coexistence of states…
Evidence for the existence of van der Waals loops in pressure p versus volume v plots has for some time supported the belief that melting in two dimensions is a first order phase transition. We report rather accurate equilibrium p(v) curves…
Mean-field theories of the glass transition predict a phase transition to a dynamically arrested state, yet no such transition is observed in experiments or simulations of finite-dimensional systems. We resolve this long-standing…
We study singularities in the large deviation function of the time-averaged current of diffusive systems connected to two reservoirs. A set of conditions for the occurrence of phase transitions, both first and second order, are obtained by…
The second-order Kuramoto equation describes synchronization of coupled oscillators with inertia, which occur in power grids for example. Contrary to the first-order Kuramoto equation it's synchronization transition behavior is much less…
We show that order-parameter fluctuations in a good type-I superconductor or a liquid crystal always increase the size of the first-order transition. This behavior is eventually changed when the system crosses over to inverted-XY critical…
We have performed a systematic study of the phase transition in the pure compact U(1) lattice gauge theory in the extended coupling parameter space (\beta, \gamma) on toroidal and spherical lattices. The observation of a non-zero latent…