Metastability in zero-temperature dynamics: some simple examples
Jean-Marc Luck


Abstract
Slow dynamics is often described as motion in a complex energy landscape with valleys separated by barriers. Valleys or metastable states with infinite lifetimes only exist either at the mean-field level or at zero temperature. I will review recent works pertaining to the latter situation, namely the ferromagnetic Ising chain with various kinds of zero-temperature dynamics. The magnetisation may or may not be locally conserved (Glauber vs. Kawasaki dynamics). Furthermore, diffusive moves at constant energy may or may not be allowed (full vs. restricted dynamics). Only one of the four combinations, namely full Glauber dynamics, leads to phase ordering, whereas the three other ones lead to trapping in metastable configurations. The metastable states thus generated dynamically are investigated in detail, either analytically (restricted dynamics) or numerically (full Kawasaki). Various quantities are compared with the predictions of an a priori approach `a la Edwards.

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Elenco dei partecipanti al convegno di Bari.

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