Dynamical transitions in a driven diffusive model with interactions

¹ Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino - Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, I-10129 Torino, Italy
² INFN, Sezione di Torino - Via Pietro Giuria 1, I-10125 Torino, Italy
³ Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi (CNR-ISC) - Via dei Taurini 19, I-00185 Roma, Italy

^(a) davide.botto@polito.it
^(b) alessandro.pelizzola@polito.it
^(c) marco.pretti@polito.it

Received: 9 August 2018
Accepted: 23 November 2018

Abstract

We study the dynamics of an asymmetric simple exclusion process with open boundaries and local interactions using a pair approximation which generalizes the 2-node cluster mean field theory and the Markov chain approach to kinetics and shares with these approaches the property of reproducing exact results for the bulk current-density relation and the steady-state phase diagrams. We find that the relaxation rate exhibits a dynamical transition, with no static counterpart, analogous to that found without interactions. Remarkably, for some values of the model's parameters, we find 2 dynamical transitions in the same low-density phase. We study the dynamics of relaxation to the steady state on both sides of these transitions and make an attempt at providing a physical interpretation for this phenomenon. Results from numerical approaches and a modified Domain Wall Theory confirm the picture provided by the pair approximation.