title: Slow dynamics in the three-dimensional gonihedric model.
abstract: We study dynamical aspects of three-dimensional gonihedric spins by using Monte-Carlo methods. These models have a purely geometrical motivation, deriving from string and random surface theory. Here, however, we shall analyze this family of models just from a statistical point of view. In particular, we shall be concerned with their ability to exhibit remarkably slow dynamics and seemingly glassy behavior below a certain temperature T(g), without the need of introducing disorder of any kind. We consider first a Hamiltonian that takes into account only a four-spin term (kappa=0), where a first-order phase transition is well established. By studying the relaxation properties at low temperatures, we confirm that the model exhibits two distinct regimes. For T(g)<T<T(c), with long lived metastability and a supercooled phase, the approach to equilibrium is well described by a stretched exponential. For T<T(g), the dynamics appears to be logarithmic. We provide an accurate determination of T(g). We also determine the evolution of particularly long lived configurations. Next, we consider the case kappa=1, where the plaquette term is absent and the gonihedric action consists in a ferromagnetic Ising with fine-tuned next-to-nearest neighbor interactions. This model exhibits a second order phase transition. The consideration of the relaxation time for configurations in the cold phase reveals the presence of slow dynamics and glassy behavior for any T<T(c). Type-II aging features are exhibited by this model.
authors.affiliation: Departament d'Estructura i Constituents de la Materia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. petros@ecm.ub.es
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dimopoulos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Espriu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jané
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prats