Formation of nonequilibrium modulated phases under local energy input

Linjun Li and Michel Pleimling^a

Department of Physics, Virginia Tech - Blacksburg, VA 24061-0435, USA

^a Michel.Pleimling@vt.edu

Received: 3 February 2012
Accepted: 3 April 2012

Abstract

We study numerically an inhomogeneous Ising lattice gas with short-range interactions where different sectors are in contact with thermal baths at different temperatures. Inside the different sectors particles jump to empty sites following the familiar Kawasaki dynamics. In addition, particles can freely hop from one sector to the other. This crossing between the sectors breaks detailed balance and yields a local energy influx that drives the system to a nonequilibrium steady state. When the low-temperature sector is cooled below the equilibrium critical temperature, a complicated nonequilibrium phase diagram emerges, dominated by unusual modulated nonequilibrium stationary states. These steady states result from the interplay of phase separation and convection.