Universal features of the order-parameter fluctuations: reversible and irreversible aggregation

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We discuss the universal scaling laws of order-parameter fluctuations in any system in which a second-order critical behavior can be identified. These scaling laws can be derived rigorously for equilibrium systems when combined with a finite-size scaling analysis. The relation between the order parameter, the criticality, and the scaling law of fluctuations has been established, and the connection between the scaling function and the critical exponents has been found. We give examples in out-of-equilibrium aggregation models such as the Smoluchowski kinetic equations, or at-equilibrium Ising and percolation models.