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Numerical Estimation of the Current Large Deviation Function in the Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process with Open Boundary Conditions

We numerically study the large deviation function of the total current, which is the sum of local currents over all bonds, for the symmetric and asymmetric simple exclusion processes with open boundary conditions. We estimate the generating function by calculating the largest eigenvalue of the modified transition matrix and by population Monte Carlo simulation. As a result, we find a number of interesting behaviors not observed in the exactly solvable cases studied previously as follows. The even and odd parts of the generating function show different system-size dependences. Different definitions of the current lead to the same generating function in small systems. The use of the total current is important in the Monte Carlo estimation. Moreover, a cusp appears in the large deviation function for the asymmetric simple exclusion process. We also discuss the convergence property of the population Monte Carlo simulation and find that in a certain parameter region, the convergence is very slow and the gap between the largest and second largest eigenvalues of the modified transition matrix rapidly tends to vanish with the system size.