Dynamical phase coexistence in the Fredrickson-Andersen model

Abstract: We analyse a first-order dynamical phase transition that takes place in the Fredrickson--Andersen (FA) model. We construct a two-dimensional spin system whose thermodynamic properties reproduce the dynamical large deviations of the FA model and we analyse this system numerically, comparing our results with finite-size scaling theory. This allows us to rationalise recent results for the FA model, including the exponential divergence of its susceptibility at phase coexistence. We also discuss a simple interfacial model that reproduces quantitatively the behaviour of the FA model at coexistence.