Noise-induced dynamical phase transitions in long-range systems

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2011 Apr;83(4 Pt 1):040101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.83.040101. Epub 2011 Apr 13.

Abstract

In the thermodynamic limit, the time evolution of isolated long-range interacting systems is properly described by the Vlasov equation. This equation admits nonequilibrium dynamically stable stationary solutions characterized by a zero order parameter. We show that the presence of external noise sources, such as a heat bath, can reduce their lifetime and induce at a specific time a dynamical phase transition marked by a nonzero order parameter. This transition may be used as a distinctive experimental signature of the temporary existence of nonequilibrium Vlasov-stable states. In particular, we present evidence of a regime characterized by an order parameter pulse. Our analytical results are corroborated by numerical simulations of a paradigmatic long-range model.