Computation of nucleation of a non-equilibrium first-order phase transition using a rare-event algorithm

We introduce a new Forward-Flux Sampling in Time (FFST) algorithm to efficiently measure transition times in rare-event processes in non-equilibrium systems, and apply it to study the first-order (discontinuous) kinetic transition in the Ziff-Gulari-Barshad model of catalytic surface reaction. The average time for the transition to take place, as well as both the spinodal and transition points, are clearly found by this method.

The Barrier Method: A Technique for Calculating Very Long Transition Times

In many dynamical systems there is a large separation of time scales between typical events and rare events which can be the cases of interest. Rare-event rates are quite difficult to compute numerically, but they are of considerable practical importance in many fields: for example transition times in chemical physics and extinction times in epidemiology can be very long, but are quite important. We present a very fast numerical technique that can be used to find long transition times (very small rates) in low-dimensional systems, even if they lack detailed balance. We illustrate the method for a bistable non-equilibrium system introduced by Maier and Stein and a two-dimensional (in parameter space) epidemiology model.

Fractal dimensions of the Q-state Potts model for the complete and external hulls

Fortuin-Kastelyn clusters in the critical $Q$-state Potts model are conformally invariant fractals. We obtain simulation results for the fractal dimension of the complete and external (accessible) hulls for Q=1, 2, 3, and 4, on clusters that wrap around a cylindrical system. We find excellent agreement between these results and theoretical predictions. We also obtain the probability distributions of the hull lengths and maximal heights of the clusters in this geometry and provide a conjecture for their form.

The Harmonic Measure for critical Potts clusters

We present a technique, which we call etching, which we use to study the harmonic measure of Fortuin-Kasteleyn clusters in the Q-state Potts model for Q=1-4. The harmonic measure is the probability distribution of random walkers diffusing onto the perimeter of a cluster. We use etching to study regions of clusters which are extremely unlikely to be hit by random walkers, having hitting probabilities down to 10^(-4600). We find good agreement between the theoretical predictions of Duplantier and our numerical results for the generalized dimension D(q), including regions of small and negative q.

Harmonic Measure for Percolation and Ising Clusters Including Rare Events

We obtain the harmonic measure of the hulls of critical percolation clusters and Ising-model Fortuin-Kastelyn clusters using a biased random-walk sampling technique which allows us to measure probabilities as small as 10^{-300}. We find the multifractal D(q) spectrum including regions of small and negative q. Our results for external hulls agree with Duplantiers theoretical predictions for D(q) and his exponent -23/24 for the harmonic measure probability distribution. For the complete hull, we find the probability decays with an exponent of -1 for both systems.