Delayed nucleation at a weakly first-order transition.

The dynamics of the transformation out of a non-equilibrium metastable phase are discussed within a mean field theory at temperatures well below the transition temperature tau(c). We show that fluctuations are important and lead to an unusual time dependence of the order parameter, in particular a sharp delay time for the onset of the stable phase. This model is then applied to the dynamics of the para-electric to ferro- electric transition in BaTi0(3) where the mediating forces arise from lone-range strain fields.