FORC Analysis of homogeneous nucleation in the two-dimensional kinetic Ising model

Abstract

The first-order reversal curve (FORC) method is applied to the two-dimensional kinetic Ising model. For the system size and magnetic field chosen, the system reverses by the homogeneous nucleation and growth of many droplets. This makes the dynamics of reversal nearly deterministic, in contrast to the strongly disordered systems previously studied by the FORC method. Consequently, the FORC diagrams appear different from those obtained in previous studies. The Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (KJMA) theory of phase transformation by nucleation and growth is applied to the system. Reasonable agreement with the Monte Carlo simulations is found, and the FORC method suggests how the KJMA theory could be extended.