Phase Transitions in Stochastic Models of Flow

Abstract

In this talk I will review some very simple models of nonequilibrium systems known as the ‘Asymmetric Exclusion Process’ and the ‘Zero-Range Process’. These involve particles hopping stochastically on a lattice and thus form stochastic models of flow. Systems driven out of equilibrium can often exhibit behaviour not seen in systems in thermal equilibrium - for example phase transitions in one-dimensional systems. I shall show how examples of such transitions may be interpreted as jamming transitions in the context of traffic flow. More generally I shall discuss other instances of the condensation transition which is the phenomenon of a finite fraction of the driven conserved quantity condensing into a small spatial region. Criteria for the occurrence of condensation may be formulated and the detailed properties of the condensate such as its fluctuations have recently been elucidated.