Persistence of Kardar-Parisi-Zhang Interfaces

Abstract

The probabilities $P_\pm(t_0,t)$ that a growing Kardar-Parisi-Zhang interface remains above or below the mean height in the time interval $(t_0, t)$ are shown numerically to decay as $P_\pm \sim (t_0/t)^{θ_\pm}$ with $θ_+ = 1.18 \pm 0.08$ and $θ_- = 1.64 \pm 0.08$. Bounds on $θ_\pm$ are derived from the height autocorrelation function under the assumption of Gaussian statistics. The autocorrelation exponent $\bar λ$ for a $d$--dimensional interface with roughness and dynamic exponents $β$ and $z$ is conjectured to be $\bar λ= β+ d/z$. For a recently proposed discretization of the KPZ equation we find oscillatory persistence probabilities, indicating hidden temporal correlations.