LARGE-SCALE STRUCTURE OF A FLUCTUATING FIELD NEAR THE LABILITY BOUNDARY OF A TYPE-I PHASE-TRANSITION

The ordering process of a scalar fluctuating field near the lability b oundary of a type-I phase transition is considered. It is found that u nder certain conditions, a long-lived large-scale structure can be for med that is analogous to the structure arising in the critical domain of type-I phase transitions. During the development of instability in this structure, chains and dense local groups of germs should appear t hat are analogous to those observed in actual systems. The results are discussed in relation to fluctuation-induced continuous phase transit ions, which can appear according to the thermodynamic renormalisation- group approach.