Dynamic Behavior of a Spin- 1 Ising Model. I. Relaxation of Order Parameters and the “Flatness” Property of Metastable States (original) (raw)

The dynamic behavior of a spin-I lsing system with arbitrary bilinear and biquadratic pair interactions is studied by using the path probability method, and approaches of the system toward the stable or metastable equilibrium states according to the ratio of interaction parameters and rate constants are presented. In particular, we investigate the relaxation of the order parameters for temperatures less than, equal to, and greater than the second-order and first-order phase transitions. From this investigation, the "flatness" property of metastable states is seen explicitly. We also show how a system freezes in a metastable state as well as how it escapes from one metastable state to the other.