Numéro
J. Phys. I France
Volume 4, Numéro 7, July 1994
Page(s) 1027 - 1048
DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/jp1:1994182
DOI: 10.1051/jp1:1994182
J. Phys. I France 4 (1994) 1027-1048

The crossover from first to second-order finite-size scaling: a numerical study

Christian Borgs1, P.E.L. Rakow1 and Stefan Kappler2

1  Institut für Theoretische Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
2  Institut für Physik, Universität Mainz, Staudinger Weg 7, D-55128 Mainz, Germany


(Received 4 November 1993, received in final form 8 March 1994, accepted 21 March 1994)

Abstract
We consider a particular case of the two dimensional Blume-Emery-Griffiths model to study the finite-size scaling for a field driven first-order phase transition with two coexisting phases not related by a symmetry. For low temperatures we verify the asymptotic (large volume) predictions of the rigorous theory of Borgs and Kotecky. Near the critical temperature we show that all data fit onto a unique curve, even when the correlation length $\xi$ becomes comparable to or larger than the size of the system, provided the linear dimension L of the system is rescaled by $\xi$.



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