Reexamination of the long-range Potts model: a multicanonical approach

We investigate the critical behavior of the one-dimensional q-state Potts model with long-range (LR) interactions 1/r(d+sigma), using a multicanonical algorithm. The recursion scheme initially proposed by Berg is improved so as to make it suitable for a large class of LR models with unequally spaced energy levels. The choice of an efficient predictor and a reliable convergence criterion is discussed. We obtain transition temperatures in the first-order regime which are in far better agreement with mean-field predictions than in previous Monte Carlo studies. By relying on the location of spinodal points and resorting to scaling arguments, we determine the threshold value sigma(c)(q) separating the first- and second-order regimes to two-digit precision within the range 3< or =q < or =9. We offer convincing numerical evidence supporting sigma(c)(q)<1.0 for all q, by virtue of an unusual finite-size effect, namely, finite-size scaling predicts a continuous transition in the thermodynamic limit, despite the first-order nature of the transition at finite size. A qualitative account in terms of correlation lengths is provided. Finally, we find the crossover between the LR and short-range regimes to occur inside a narrow window 1.0