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arXiv · 1206.0290

Exchange of stability as a function of system size in a nonequilibrium system

Sorin Tanase-Nicola·David K. Lubensky
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Abstract

In equilibrium systems with short-ranged interactions, the relative stability of different thermodynamic states generally does not depend on system size (as long as this size is larger than the interaction range). Here, we use a large deviations approach to show that, in contrast, different states can exchange stability as system size is varied in a driven, bistable reaction-diffusion system. This striking effect is related to a shift from a spatially uniform to a nonuniform transition state and should generically be possible in a wide range of nonequilibrium physical and biological systems.

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BibTeXRIS

Sorin Tanase-Nicola, David K. Lubensky. 2012-06-01. Exchange of stability as a function of system size in a nonequilibrium system. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.86.040103

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