ELIMINATING METASTABILITY IN FIRST-ORDER PHASE-TRANSITIONS

We propose a Monte Carlo cluster algorithm which eliminates metastabil ity in first-order phase transitions of spin-1 models. As an example, we apply it to the Blume-Emery-Griffiths model. Our prescription for g rowing clusters accelerates the decay of metastable states eliminating hysteresis effects completely. In this way, a precise location of fir st-order lines of this model is obtained. The high quality of the data allows us to perform an accurate finite size analysis which shows tha t on first-order lines physical quantities scale with the volume of th e system.