Directed Percolation with long-range interactions: modeling non-equilibrium wetting

Abstract

It is argued that some phase--transitions observed in models of non-equilibrium wetting phenomena are related to contact processes with long-range interactions. This is investigated by introducing a model where the activation rate of a site at the edge of an inactive island of length $\ell$ is $1+a{\ell }^{-\ddot{I}ƒ}$. Mean--field analysis and numerical simulations indicate that for $\ddot{I}ƒ>1$ the transition is continuous and belongs to the universality class of directed percolation, while for $0<\ddot{I}ƒ<1$, the transition becomes first order. This criterion is then applied to discuss critical properties of various models of non--equilibrium wetting.

12 Figures. V Version resubmitted to Phys. Rev. E after referees report