Non-equilibrium phase transitions. Vol. 1: Absorbing phase transitions (Q930299)

The field of equilibrium phase transitions is a classic. Nonequilibrium phenomena and nonequilibrium phase transitions are a challenge nowadays, both on the technical (theory) and phenomenological (experiment, heuristic modeling) levels of description. The monograph concentrates on nonequilibrium phase transitions from fluctuating (ordered) states into so-called absorbing states, which can never be left by the system once reached. The most important class of such transitions is covered by lattice models of directed percolation (at the moment, with rather limited experimental data suport) which is considered as a paradigm case. Suitable stochastic models are devised for mean-field order parameters. Standard scaling arguments and renormalisation group techniques are generalized to the directed percolation setting, universality classes are identified. A disticction between continuous (second order) and discontinuous (first order) dynamical phase transitions is explained in some detail. Links with various realistic phenomena, like e.g. turbulence, lattice models with long-range interactions, crossover phenomena and quenched disorder are considered. Extended appendices (plus solutions of excercises and answers to problems) on specific models, like e.g. Potts, clock, turban, Baxter-Wu, XY, double exchange and frustrated spin models, plus mean-field approximations, make the book useful not only to scientists and lecturers , but also to advanced graduate students.