Phase Separation Transition in a Nonconserved Two Species Model

TL;DR

This paper investigates a one-dimensional two-species exclusion process with conserved total density, revealing a phase separation transition characterized by a macroscopic vacancy domain and diverging correlation length, with distinct critical exponents.

Contribution

It provides an exact analysis of phase separation in a nonconserved two-species model, highlighting the transition's critical behavior and exponents.

Findings

Phase separation occurs with a macroscopic vacancy domain.

Diverging correlation length at the transition.

Distinct static and dynamical critical exponents.

Abstract

A one dimensional stochastic exclusion process with two species of particles, $+$ and $-$, is studied where density of each species can fluctuate but the total particle density is conserved. From the exact stationary state weights we show that, in the limiting case where density of negative particles vanishes, the system undergoes a phase separation transition where a macroscopic domain of vacancies form in front of a single surviving negative particle. We also show that the phase separated state is associated with a diverging correlation length for any density and the critical exponents characterizing the behaviour in this region are different from those at the transition line. The static and the dynamical critical exponents are obtained from the exact solution and numerical simulations, respectively.