We introduce and solve a model of hardcore particles on a one-dimensional periodic lattice which undergoes an active–absorbing-state phase transition at finite density. In this model, an occupied site is defined to be active if its left neighbor is occupied and the right neighbor is vacant. Particles from such active sites hop stochastically to their right. We show that both the density of active sites and the survival probability vanish as the particle density is decreased below half. The critical exponents and spatial correlations of the model are calculated exactly using the matrix product ansatz. Exact analytical study of several variations of the model reveals that these nonequilibrium phase transitions belong to a new universality class different from the generic active–absorbing-state phase transition, namely, directed percolation.

• Received 8 January 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.79.041143