Critical behaviour of a surface reaction model with infinitely many absorbing states

TL;DR

This paper investigates a lattice gas model of a catalytic reaction with infinitely many absorbing states, demonstrating that its critical behavior aligns with the directed percolation universality class, contrary to previous suggestions.

Contribution

The study clarifies the universality class of a surface reaction model with infinitely many absorbing states, showing it belongs to directed percolation rather than a new class.

Findings

Model exhibits a second order phase transition.

Critical exponents match directed percolation universality class.

Contradicts earlier claims of a new universality class.

Abstract

In a recent letter [J. Phys. A26, L801 (1993)], Yaldram et al. studied the critical behaviour of a simple lattice gas model of the CO-NO catalytic reaction. The model exhibits a second order nonequilibrium phase transition from an active state into one out of infinitely many absorbing states. Estimates for the critical exponent $\beta$ suggested that the model belongs to a new universality class. The results reported in this article contradict this notion, as estimates for various critical exponents show that the model belongs to the universality class of directed percolation.