Generic rules for No-equilibrium
phase transition.
This picture represents a
traffic jam on a city road in a rush hour.
Usually a 'jammed'
state
occurs
spontaneously
from
a 'free
flow'
state
when certain parameters (velocity of cars or breaking of traffic
rules) change.
This is an example of
non-equilibrium phase transition. Unlike equilibrium, the
jammed patch can still move with certain velocity. Other such
non-equilibrium
phase transitions include spreading of fluids, synchronized firing of
neurons,
roughening of surfaces.
In equilibrium, we have certain guidelines on 'what kind of systems can
exhibit a phase transition'. Could we say anything generic
about non-equilibrium
phase transitions ?
