Monte Carlo static and dynamic simulations of a three-dimensional Ising critical model

Abstract

The critical dynamics of 'model A" of Hohenberg and Halperin has been studied by the Monte Carlo method. Simulations have been carried out in the three-dimensional (3d) simple cubic Ising model for lattices of sizes L=16 to L=512. Using Wolff's cluster algorithm, the critical temperature is precisely found as βc=0.22165468(5). By Fourier transform of the lattice configurations, the critical scattering intensities I(q) can be obtained. After circular averaging, the static simulations with L=256 and L=512 provide an estimate of the critical exponent γ/ν=2-η=1.9640(5). The |q-|-dependent distribution of I(q) showed an exponential distribution, corresponding to a Gaussian distribution of the scattering amplitudes for a large q domain. The time-dependent intensities were then used for the study of the critical dynamics of 3d lattices at the critical point. To simulate results of an x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy experiment, the time-dependent correlation function of the intensities was studied for each |q - |-value. In the q region where I(q - ) had an exponential distribution, the time correlations can be fit to a stretched exponential, where the exponent μ=γ/νz≃0.975 provides an estimate of the dynamic exponent z. This corresponds to z=2.0145, in agreement with the observed variations of the characteristic fluctuation time of the intensity: τ(q) q-z, which gives z=2.015. These results agree with the ϵ expansion of field-theoretical methods (2.017). In this paper, the need to take account of the anomalous time behavior (μ<1) in the dynamics is exemplified. This dynamics reflects a nonlinear time behavior of model A, and its large time extension is discussed in detail.