Journal of Statistical Physics, Vol. 109, Nos. 3/4, November 2002. p. 623-639.
We compute the largest relaxation times for the totally asymmetric exclusion process (TASEP) with open boundary conditions with a DMRG method. This allows us to reach much larger system sizes than in previous numerical studies. We are then able to show that the phenomenological theory of the domain wall indeed predicts correctly the largest relaxation time for large systems. Besides, we can obtain results even when the domain wall approach breaks down, and show that the KPZ dynamical exponent z=3/2 is recovered in the whole maximal current phase.