Generalized scaling relations for unidirectionally coupled nonequilibrium systems

Unidirectionally coupled systems which exhibit phase transitions into an absorbing state are investigated at the multicritical point. We find that for initial conditions with isolated particles, each hierarchy level exhibits an inhomogeneous active region, coupled and uncoupled, respectively. The particle number of each level increases algebraically in time as N(t)∼tη with different exponents η in each domain. This inhomogeneity is a quite general feature of unidirectionally coupled systems and leads to two hyperscaling relations between dynamic and static critical exponents. Using the contact process and the branching-annihilating random walk with two offsprings, which belong to the directed percolation and parity-conserving classes, respectively, we numerically confirm the scaling relations.