Some Aspects on Dynamics of Nonequilibrium Systems: Metastability, Avalanches, Phase Separation, Absorbing States and Heat Conduction

Abstract

In this thesis I study the dynamics of some nonequilibrium systems, using both computer simulations and theoretical tools. In particular, the following topics are studied: (i) metastability in a nonequilibrium ferromagnetic system, (ii) the onset of scale-free avalanches during metastable state decay, (iii) phase segregation under anisotropic nonequilibrium conditions, (iv) the microscopic basis of heat conduction and Fourier's law in low dimensional systems and, finally, (v) a problem related with the physics of absorbing states. The study of these nonequilibrium dynamic phenomena provides an overview of some of the effects that nonequilibrium conditions may induce on the dynamics of complex systems.