The role of time scale separation in a nonequilibrium roughening transition

In this work we analyze the role of time scale separation between the external driving and the avalanche relaxation dynamics in a one-dimensional model of propagation of innovations among economic agents. When the time scales are separated the model presents a nonequilibrium roughening transition. We show that when avalanche overlapping is permitted, only a rough phase is observed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.