Dynamical renormalization group analysis of $O(n)$ model in steady shear flow
Harukuni Ikeda, Hiroyoshi Nakano
We study the critical behavior of the O(n) O ( n ) model under steady shear flow using a dynamical renormalization group (RG) method. Incorporating the strong anisotropy in scaling ansatz, which has been neglected in earlier RG analyses, we identify a new stable Gaussian fixed point. This fixed point reproduces the anisotropic scaling of static and dynamical critical exponents for both non-conserved (Model A) and conserved (Model B) order parameters. Notably, the upper critical dimensions are d_{\text{up}} = 2 d up = 2 for the non-conserved order parameter (Model A) and d_{\text{up}} = 0 d up = 0 for the conserved order parameter (Model B), implying that the mean-field critical exponents are observed even in both d=2 d = 2 and 3 3 dimensions. Furthermore, the scaling exponent of the order parameter is negative for all dimensions d ≥ 2 d ≥ 2 , indicating that shear flow stabilizes the long-range order associated with continuous symmetry breaking even in d = 2 d = 2 . In other words, the lower critical dimensions are d_{\rm low} < 2 for both types of order parameters. This contrasts with equilibrium systems, where the Hohenberg—Mermin—Wagner theorem prohibits continuous symmetry breaking in d = 2 d = 2 .
arXiv:2412.02111•SciPost Physics•May 19, 2026•0 citations