Partial equivalence of statistical ensembles in a simple spin model with discontinuous phase transitions.

Abstract

In this paper, we draw attention to the problem of phase transitions in systems with locally affine microcanonical entropy, in which partial equivalence of (microcanonical and canonical) ensembles is observed. We focus on a very simple spin model, that was shown to be an equilibrium statistical mechanics representation of the biased random walk. The model exhibits interesting discontinuous phase transitions that are simultaneously observed in the microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensemble, although in each of these ensembles the transition occurs in a slightly different way. The differences are related to fluctuations accompanying the discontinuous change of the number of positive spins. In the microcanonical ensemble, there is no fluctuation at all. In the canonical ensemble, one observes power-law fluctuations, which are, however, size dependent and disappear in the thermodynamic limit. Finally, in the grand canonical ensemble, the discontinuous transition is of mixed order (hybrid) kind with diverging (critical-like) fluctuations. In general, this paper consists of many small results, which together make up an interesting example of phase transitions that are not covered by the known classifications of these phenomena.