Gruppo di Fisica Statistica

Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and series expansions (SE) data for the energy, specific heat, magnetization and susceptibility of the 3-state Potts model on the square lattice are analyzed in the vicinity of the critical point in order to estimate universal combinations of critical amplitudes. We estimate these amplitudes using the correction-to-scaling exponents predicted by conformal field theory. We also form effective ratios of the observables close to the critical point and analyze how they approach the universal critical-amplitude ratios. In particular, using the duality relation, we show analytically that for the Potts model with any number of states $q$, the effective ratio of the energy critical amplitudes always approaches unity linearly with respect to the reduced temperature. This fact leads to the prediction of relations among the amplitudes of correction-to-scaling terms of the specific heat in the low- and high-temperature phases. We present numerical and analytical support for the form of the first two correction-to-scaling terms. Our results for the amplitude ratios closely agree with the theoretical predictions and the earlier numerical estimates of the specific-heat and the susceptibility amplitude-ratios.