Nucleation times in the 2D Ising model

A theoretical framework is presented for the estimation of nucleation times in systems with Brownian type dynamics. This framework is applied to a prototype system: the two-dimensional Ising model with spin-flip dynamics in an external magnetic field. Direct simulation results for the nucleation times, spanning more than four orders of magnitude, are compared with theoretical predictions. There are no free parameters; all system properties required by the theory are determined by simulations in equilibrium systems. Theoretical and simulation values are found to agree in most cases within 20%.