Second Class Particle Behaviour in Blocking ASEP

Abstract

We consider any fixed $d\in\mathbb{Z}_{>0}$ number of second class particles in the asymmetric simple exclusion process (ASEP), constructed via a basic coupling of two ASEPs. We give the joint distribution of the positions of the second class particles and also the probability of there being a second class particle at a given site, under the natural blocking measure for ASEP. In order to find these distributions we use results about the number of particles in half-infinite and finite site ranges of ASEP. Our investigations also lead to probabilistic proofs of well-known combinatorial identities; the Durfee rectangles identity, Euler's identity, and the $q$-Binomial Theorem.