title: Optimal modularity for nucleation in a network-organized Ising model.
abstract: We study the nucleation dynamics of the Ising model in a topology that consists of two coupled random networks, thereby mimicking the modular structure observed in real-world networks. By introducing a variant of a recently developed forward flux sampling method, we efficiently calculate the rate and elucidate the pathway for the nucleation process. It is found that as the network modularity worsens the nucleation undergoes a transition from a two-step to one-step process. Interestingly, the nucleation rate shows a nonmonotonic dependence on the modularity, in which a maximal nucleation rate occurs at a moderate level of modularity. A simple mean-field analysis is proposed to qualitatively illustrate the simulation results.
authors: Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
authors: Hanshuang
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: Zhonghuai
authors: Z
authors: Hou