A characteristic critical quantity in nonequilibrium phase transitions

The bit-number variance, a generalization of specific heat, which was already introduced in earlier papers [7-10] is discussed, with respect to the critical behaviour in equilibrium-and nonequilibrium phase transitions. In the considered mean field examples it shows a uniform behaviour dependent on to which of two classes the system belongs. With it a new characteristic critical quantity is found appropriate for the comparison of different nonequilibrium phase transitions. New arguments are given with respect to the connection between critical correlations and the bit-number cumulants.