Phase Transitions and Scaling in Non-Equilibrium Systems

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

0075725 Tauber Phase Transitions, generic scaling, and universality in systems far from thermal equilibrium are comparatively poorly understood. Yet, many analytic and computational studies are based on simplified theoretical models, the only justification for which is the existence of universality classes. This theoretical grant aims to advance the current understanding of genuinely non-equilibrium systems via two different but complementary approaches, namely (i) through studying simple fundamental models, and (ii) by analyzing specific experiments. In (i), field-theoretic representations and the renormalization group will be used. The equilibrium critical dynamics universality classes will be analyzed to determine how they are affected by violating detailed balance conditions. The effects of spatially anisotropic noise on the dynamics will be studied. The influence of noise correlations will also be studied. In (ii), a variety of non-equilibrium physical conditions will be analyzed. These include light-emitting polymers; the dynamics of driven magnetic flux in disordered high temperature superconductors; complex biological reaction systems; the physics of dehydrated organisms which may be in a metastable glassy thermodynamic state. Work will also continue on teh writing of a graduate textbook on critical dynamics. %%% This grant supports theoretical research on foundations and applications for a variety of non-equilibrium systems. This is a field of research which affects many common systems; life itself is a non-equilibrium system. The study of systems in equilibrium is much more advanced, whereas the understanding of non-equilibrium systems is still in a formative phase. Systems to be studied include light-emitting polymers, high temperature superconductors, and various biological systems. ***