Phase transitions in nonequilibrium d-dimensional models with q absorbing states

Abstract

A nonequilibrium Potts-like model with $q$ absorbing states is studied using Monte Carlo simulations. In two dimensions and $q=3$ the model exhibits a discontinuous transition. For the three-dimensional case and $q=2$ the model exhibits a continuous, transition with $\beta=1$ (mean-field). Simulations are inconclusive, however, in the two-dimensional case for $q=2$. We suggest that in this case the model is close to or at the crossing point of lines separating three different types of phase transitions. The proposed phase diagram in the $(q,d)$ plane is very similar to that of the equilibrium Potts model. In addition, our simulations confirm field-theory prediction that in two dimensions a branching-annihilating random walk model without parity conservation belongs to the directed percolation universality class.