Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 57, Number 6, March 2002
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 803 - 809 | |
Section | General | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2002-00582-9 | |
Published online | 01 August 2002 |
Stochastic theory of non-equilibrium wetting
1
Departamento de Física da Faculdade de Ciências e Centro
de Física da Matéria Condensada da Universidade de
Lisboa Avenida Professor Gama Pinto, 2, P-1643-003 Lisboa Codex,
Portugal
2
Institute Carlos I for Theoretical and Computational Physics,
University of Granada 18071 Granada, Spain
3
Departamento de Electromagnetismo y Física de la Materia,
Universidad de Granada 18071 Granada, Spain
Received:
26
March
2001
Accepted:
21
December
2001
We study a Langevin equation describing non-equilibrium depinning and wetting transitions. Attention is focused on short-ranged attractive substrate-interface potentials. We confirm the existence of first-order depinning transitions, in the temperature-chemical potential diagram, and a tricritical point beyond which the transition becomes a non-equilibrium complete wetting transition. The coexistence of pinned and depinned interfaces occurs over a finite area, in line with other non-equilibrium systems that exhibit first-order transitions. In addition, we find two types of phase coexistence, one of which is characterized by spatio-temporal intermittency (STI). A finite-size analysis of the depinning time is used to characterize the different coexisting regimes. Finally, a stationary distribution of characteristic triangles or facets was shown to be responsible for the structure of the STI phase.
PACS: 05.70.Fh – Phase transitions: general studies / 68.08.Bc – Wetting
© EDP Sciences, 2002
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