Scaling Properties of Current Fluctuations in Periodic TASEP

Abstract: We investigate current fluctuations in the totally asymmetric simple exclusion process (TASEP) on a ring of size $N$ with $p$ particles. By deforming the Markov generator with a parameter $\gamma$, we analyze the tilted operator governing current statistics using coordinate Bethe ansatz techniques. We derive implicit expressions for the scaled cumulant generating function (SCGF), i.e. the largest eigenvalue, and the spectral gap in terms of Bethe roots, exploiting the geometric structure of Cassini ovals. In the thermodynamic limit, at fixed particle density, a dynamical phase transition emerges between regimes distinguished by the sign of $\gamma$. For positive deformation $\gamma$, the SCGF exhibits ballistic scaling, growing linearly with system size $N$. For negative $\gamma$, the SCGF converges to a universal constant, highlighting distinct fluctuation regimes. Correspondingly, the spectral gap, controlling relaxation times, shows qualitatively different finite-size scaling: it closes as $O(N^{-1})$ for $\gamma>0$ reflecting slow relaxation, but it decreases exponentially for $\gamma<0$ indicating rapid convergence. These results provide insight into the metastability and relaxation dynamics in driven interacting particle systems.