Emergent motion of condensates in mass-transport models

TL;DR

This paper investigates how spatial correlations influence real-space condensation in driven mass-transport systems, revealing that condensates can drift with non-zero velocity due to a robust mechanism in non-product steady states.

Contribution

It introduces a mechanism for condensate drift in a generalized zero-range process with spatial correlations, expanding understanding beyond traditional models.

Findings

Condensates can drift with non-zero velocity in correlated systems.

A robust mechanism explains condensate motion in non-product steady states.

The mechanism's applicability to other models is discussed.

Abstract

We examine the effect of spatial correlations on the phenomenon of real-space condensation in driven mass-transport systems. We suggest that in a broad class of models with a spatially correlated steady state, the condensate drifts with a non-vanishing velocity. We present a robust mechanism leading to this condensate drift. This is done within the framework of a generalized zero-range process (ZRP) in which, unlike the usual ZRP, the steady state is not a product measure. The validity of the mechanism in other mass-transport models is discussed.