We consider a particular case of the two dimensional Blume-Emery-Griffiths model to study the finite-size scaling for a field driven first-order phase transition with two coexisting phases not related by a symmetry. For low temperatures we verify the asymptotic (large volume) predictions of the rigorous theory of Borgs and Kotecky, including the predictions concerning the so-called equal-weight versus equal-height controversy. Near the critical temperature we show that all data fit onto a unique curve, even when the correlation length xi becomes comparable to or larger then the size of the system, provided the linear dimension L of the system is rescaled by xi.
A scaling hypothesis is set up for the correlation function G(R,T;L) of a finite-sized system, with O(n) symmetry (n\ensuremath{\ge}2), confined to geometry ${L}^{d\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}d\mathcal{'}}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${\ensuremath{\infty}}^{d\mathcal{'}}$ (2d4, d'\ensuremath{\le}2) and subjected to periodic boundary conditions. Finite-size effects in the correlation length \ensuremath{\xi}(T;L) are predicted in the region of first-order phase transition (T
Tc) as well as the region of second-order phase transition (T\ensuremath{\simeq}
Tc); for the correlation function, the predictions relate mostly to the regime T
Tc. To test these predictions, a detailed analytical study is carried out in the case of the spherical model and all predictions are seen to be fully borne out. In the process we find that, though a single correlation length \ensuremath{\xi} governs the scaling of the variable R in all directions, the functional dependence of the correlation function on the scaled parameter R/\ensuremath{\xi} is highly anisotropic, in that it depends very differently on the components, ${\mathrm{R}}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ and
R?, of R pertaining to the finite and the infinite dimensions, respectively. Most importantly, while long-range order at temperatures below
Tc prevails all the way in the direction of ${\mathrm{R}}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ it is severely limited in the direction of
R?. In fact, for
R?\ensuremath{\gg}L, the qualitative features of the correlation function become characteristic of a d'-dimensional bulk system, though \ensuremath{\xi} still pertains to the actual, finite-sized system; the net result is that long-range order in the direction of
R? persists only to distances small in comparison with \ensuremath{\xi} which, for d'2, is found to be O(L(L/a${)}^{(d\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2)/(2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}d\mathcal{'})}$), a being the lattice constant.
We present a rigorous description of finite-size effects for a large class of models with an asymmetric first-order transition, assuming that all phases contributing to the transition have a finite correlation length. If the model describes the coexistence of two phases, it is shown that, at sufficiently low temperatures, the shift of the transition point due to finite-size effects in a volume
Ld with periodic boundary conditions is O(${\mathit{L}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2\mathit{d}}$), in contrast to certain claims in the literature. We also discuss different ways to determine the transition point from finite-size data, which involve only exponentially small systematic errors in L.
We investigate the dynamic behavior of finite-size systems close to a first-order transition (FOT). We develop a dynamic finite-size scaling (DFSS) theory for the dynamic behavior in the coexistence region where different phases coexist. This is characterized by an exponentially large time scale related to the tunneling between the two phases. We show that, when considering time scales of the order of the tunneling time, the dynamic behavior can be described by a two-state coarse-grained dynamics. This allows us to obtain exact predictions for the dynamical scaling functions. To test the general DFSS theory at FOTs, we consider the two-dimensional Ising model in the low-temperature phase, where the external magnetic field drives a FOT, and the 20-state Potts model, which undergoes a thermal FOT. Numerical results for a purely relaxational dynamics fully confirm the general theory.
We propose a finite-size scaling hypothesis for the ``singular'' part of the free-energy density,
f(s)(T,H;L), and the correlation function, G(R,T,H;L), of a system with O(n) symmetry (n\ensuremath{\ge}2), confined to geometry ${L}^{d\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}d\mathcal{'}}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${\ensuremath{\infty}}^{d\mathcal{'}}$ (d>4, d'\ensuremath{\le}2) and subjected to periodic boundary conditions. On the basis of this hypothesis, we predict finite-size effects in the zero-field susceptibility, \ensuremath{\chi}(T;L), the correlation length, \ensuremath{\xi}(T;L), and the ``singular'' part of the specific heat,
c(s)(T;L), in the region of first-order phase transition (T
Tc) as well as the region of second-order phase transition (T\ensuremath{\simeq}
Tc). It turns out that in both these regions the system in zero field can be described by a single, unifying variable v\ensuremath{\sim}${L}^{2(d\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}d\mathcal{'})/(4\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}d\mathcal{'})}$t\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}, where t\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{} is an appropriate temperature parameter of the system. To test the various predictions, a detailed analytical study is carried out in the case of the spherical model of ferromagnetism (n=\ensuremath{\infty}), and all predictions are seen to be fully borne out. For general n, we compare our findings with those of the previous authors, wherever possible, and in each case the comparison turns out to be perfect.