Abstract
Domain walls in equilibrium phase transitions propagate in a preferred direction so as to minimize the free energy of the system. As a result, initial spatiotemporal patterns ultimately decay toward uniform states. The absence of a variational principle far from equilibrium allows the coexistence of domain walls propagating in any direction. As a consequence, persistent patterns may emerge. We study this mechanism of pattern formation using a nonvariational extension of Landaus model for second-order phase transitions.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 705-708 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Physical Review E |
Volume | 48 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Jan 1993 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
- Statistics and Probability
- Condensed Matter Physics