Kibble-Zurek scaling of the irreversible entropy production.

Abstract

If a system is driven at finite rate through a phase transition by varying an intensive parameter, the order parameter shatters into finite domains. The Kibble-Zurek mechanism predicts the typical size of these domains, which are governed only by the rate of driving and the spatial and dynamical critical exponents. We show that also the irreversible entropy production fulfills a universal behavior, which however is determined by an additional critical exponent corresponding to the intensive control parameter. Our universal prediction is numerically tested in two systems exhibiting noise-induced phase transitions.