Finite size scaling analysis of the dilute Baxter-Wu model

The finite size scaling method is used to study the critical properties of the spin-1 Baxter-Wu model as function of the fugacity, z, of the vacant (spin zero) sites. For z=0, the thermal exponent converges very quickly to the (exact) value y_t=3/2. For z>0, y_t monotonically increases beyond the value 2. This increase is interpreted as indicating a first-order transition. Out of several possible renormalisation group flows, the results seem to favour the one in which the critical Baxter-Wu Hamiltonian flows to the fixed point of the 4-state Potts model, with the amplitude of the marginal operator equal to zero.