Dynamic phase transition theory

Abstract

Thermodynamic conventions suffer from describing systems in motion, especially when the structural and energetic changes induced by localized rare events are insignificant. By using the ensemble theory in the trajectory space, we present a statistical approach to address this problem. Rather than spatial particle-particle interaction which dominates thermodynamics, the temporal correlation of events dominates the dynamics. The zeros of dynamic partition function mark phase transitions in the space-time, i.e. dynamic phase transition (DPT), as Yang and Lee formulate traditional phase transitions, and hence determine dynamic phases on both sides of the zeros. Analogous to the role of temperature (pressure) as thermal (mechanical) potential, we interpret the controlling variable of DPT, i.e. dynamic field, as the dynamical potential. These findings offer possibility towards a unified picture of phase and phase transition.