Finite-size-scaling analysis of domain growth in the kinetic Ising model with conserved and nonconserved order parameters

Standard finite-size-scaling techniques are introduced to obtain domain growth exponents during a first-order phase transition. A scaling ansatz for the nonequilibrium structure factor in a finite lattice is presented. It explicitly includes a time rescaling exponent x, related to the domain growth exponent n (n=1/x). We first analyze domain growth in the kinetic Ising model with a nonconserved order parameter. The method correctly gives the expected exponent n=1/2. We have also studied the kinetic Ising model with a conserved order parameter at a critical value of the order parameter. The scaling behavior of the peak of the structure factor is consistent with n{}0.27. The analysis of higher wave numbers is more consistent, however, with n{}0.33.