2.00 p.m.
Kinetically constrained spin models
Oriane Blondel
ENS, France.
21-04-11

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Abstract

Kinetically constrained spin models were introduced in the physics literature to describe the so-called glassy transition. They are Markov processes on {0,1}^(Z^d) evolving according to a Glauber dynamics with product Bernoulli equilibrium measure. Their special feature is that for a flip to happen at site x, the current configuration must satisfy a local constraint around x. Thus our Markov processes have zero-rate jumps, which raises non-trivial mathematical difficulties. The study focuses on the dynamics of the systems : ergodicity, relaxation time, non-equilibrium dynamics... I will present the models and give a (necessarily partial) account of the state of research on these subjects.