Boundary-induced abrupt transition in the symmetric exclusion process.

We investigate the role of the boundary in the symmetric simple exclusion process with competing nonlocal and local hopping events. With open boundaries, the system undergoes a first-order phase transition from a finite density phase to an empty road phase as the nonlocal hopping rate increases. Using a cluster stability analysis, we determine the location of such an abrupt nonequilibrium phase transition, which agrees well with numerical results. Our cluster analysis provides physical insight into the mechanism behind this transition. We also explain why the transition becomes discontinuous in contrast to the case with periodic boundary conditions, in which the continuous phase transition has been observed.