Generic finite size scaling for discontinuous nonequilibrium phase transitions into absorbing states

Abstract: Based on quasi-stationary distribution ideas, a general finite size scaling theory is proposed for discontinuous nonequilibrium phase transitions into absorbing states. Analogously to the equilibrium case, we show that quantities such as, response functions, cumulants, and equal area probability distributions, all scale with the volume, thus allowing proper estimates for the thermodynamic limit. To illustrate these results, five very distinct lattice models displaying nonequilibrium transitions -- to single and infinitely many absorbing states -- are investigated. The innate difficulties in analyzing absorbing phase transitions are circumvented through quasi-stationary simulation methods. Our findings (allied to numerical studies in the literature) strongly point to an unifying discontinuous phase transition scaling behavior for equilibrium and this important class of nonequilibrium systems.