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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
Yang-Lee theory for a nonequilibrium phase transition
1Institut fur Theoretische Physik, Universitat zu Koln, Zulpicher Strasse 77, 50937 Koln, Germany.
Abstract:
To analyze phase transitions in a nonequilibrium system, we study its grand canonical partition function as a function of complex fugacity. Real and positive roots of the partition function mark phase transitions. This behavior, first found by Yang and Lee under general conditions for equilibrium systems, can also be applied to nonequilibrium phase transitions. We consider a one-dimensional diffusion model with periodic boundary conditions. Depending on the diffusion rates, we find real and positive roots and can distinguish two regions of analyticity, which can be identified with two different phases. In a region of the parameter space, both of these phases coexist. The condensation point can be computed with high accuracy.
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