Domain Walls in Non-Equilibrium Systems and the Emergence of Persistent Patterns

Abstract

Domain walls in equilibrium phase transitions propagate in a preferred direction so as to minimize the free energy of the system. As a result, initial spatio-temporal patterns ultimately decay toward uniform states. The absence of a variational principle far from equilibrium allows the coexistence of domain walls propagating in any direction. As a consequence, *persistent* patterns may emerge. We study this mechanism of pattern formation using a non-variational extension of Landau's model for second order phase transitions. PACS numbers: 05.70.Fh, 42.65.Pc, 47.20.Ky, 82.20Mj

12 pages LaTeX, 5 postscript figures To appear in Phys. Rev. E