Precise toppling balance, quenched disorder, and universality for sandpiles

A single sandpile model with quenched random toppling matrices captures the crucial features of different models of self-organized criticality. With symmetric matrices avalanche statistics falls in the multiscaling Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld universality class. In the asymmetric case the simple scaling of the Manna model is observed. The presence or absence of a precise toppling balance between the amount of sand released by a toppling site and the total quantity the same site receives when all its neighbors topple once determines the appropriate universality class.     

Critical wavefunctions in disordered graphene

In order to elucidate the presence of non-localized states in doped graphene, a scaling analysis of the wavefunction moments, known as inverse participation ratios, is performed. The model used is a tight-binding Hamiltonian considering nearest and next-nearest neighbors with random substitutional impurities. Our findings indicate the presence of non-normalizable wavefunctions that follow a critical (power-law) decay, which show a behavior intermediate between those of metals and insulators. The power-law exponent distribution is robust against the inclusion of next-nearest neighbors and growing the system size.     

Universality Class in Abelian Sandpile Models with Stochastic Toppling Rules

We present a stochastic critical slope sandpile model, where the amount of grains that fall in an overturning event is stochastic variable. The model is local, conservative, and Abelian. We apply the moment analysis to evaluate critical exponents and finite size scaling method to consistently test the obtained results. Numerical results show that this model, Oslo model, and one-dimensional Abelian Manna model have the same critical behavior although the three models have different stochastic toppling rules, which provides evidences suggesting that Abelian sandpile models with different stochastic toppling rules are in the same universality class.     

Self-Organized Criticality in an Anisotropic Earthquake Model

We have made an extensive numerical study of a modified model proposed by Olami,Feder,and Christensen to describe earthquake behavior.Two situations were considered in this paper.One situation is that the energy of the unstable site is redistributed to its nearest neighbors randomly not averagely and keeps itself to zero.The other situation is that the energy of the unstable site is redistributed to its nearest neighbors randomly and keeps some energy for itself instead of reset to zero.Different boundary conditions were considered as well.By analyzing the distribution of earthquake sizes,we found that self-organized criticality can be excited only in the conservative case or the approximate conservative case in the above situations.Some evidence indicated that the critical exponent of both above situations and the original OFC model tend to the same result in the conservative case.The only difference is that the avalanche size in the original model is bigger.This result may be closer to the real world,after all,every crust plate size is different.     

Universality Class in Abelian Sandpile Models with Stochastic Toppling Rules

We present a stochastic critical slope sandpile model, where the amount of grains that fall in an overturning event is stochastic variable. The model is local, conservative, and Abelian. We apply the moment analysis to evaluate critical exponents and finite size scaling method to consistently test the obtained results. Numerical results show that this model, Oslo model, and one-dimensional Abelian Manna model have the same critical behavior although the three models have different stochastic toppling rules, which provides evidences suggesting that Abelian sandpile models with different stochastic toppling rules are in the same universality class.     

Critical behavior of diluted Heisenberg ferromagnets with competing interactions

The pure and the site-diluted classical Heisenberg model on the face centered cubic (fcc) lattice with ferromagnetic exchange J_nn between nearest neighbors and antiferromagnetic exchange J_nn = −J_nn/2 between next nearest neighbors is studied by Monte Carlo simulation. Data are generated by the heat bath algorithm for lattice sizes L = 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24, using histogram reweighting techniques and sampling up to several hundred configurations of the random site disorder. From a finite size scaling analysis both the critical temperature and the critical exponents are estimated. For the pure system, the data are in very good agreement with the critical exponent estimates 1/v ≈ 1.42, β/v ≈ 0.51 obtained from other methods (as a check of the accuracy of our approach, we also study the nearest neighbor model — where J_nn ≡ 0− and again obtain very good agreement with the known behavior). However, for the diluted systems evidence for a new universality class is found. While for concentration c = 0.875 of occupied sites strong crossover phenomena preclude us from giving exponent estimates, for c = 0.75 we find 1/v ≈ 1.2 and β/v ≈ 0.45. Possible reasons why the Harris criterion may not apply for this system are discussed. The application of this study to experiments on Eu_xSr_1−xS is briefly mentioned.     

Finite size scaling in BTW like sandpile models

Lattice statistical models of equilibrium critical phenomena generally obey finite size scaling (FSS) ansatz. However, the critical behavior of the prototypical BTW sandpile model demonstrating self-organized criticality at out of equilibrium is described by a peculiar multiscaling behaviour. FSS hypothesis is verified here on two versions (RSM1 and RSM2) of a rotational sandpile model (RSM) with broken mirror symmetry. In these models, sand grains flow only in the forward direction and in a specific rotational direction from an active site after toppling. The toppling rules are such that RSM1 will have less randomness whereas RSM2 will have more randomness with respect to RSM. RSM1 is expected to be more closer to BTW whereas RSM2 is expected to be more closer to Manna’s stochastic model. Both RSM1 and RSM2 are found to belong to the same universality class of RSM. The scaling functions of RSM1 and RSM2 are also found to obey usual FSS hypothesis at out of equilibrium instead of multiscaling as in BTW.     

Influence of the structural properties on the pseudocritical magnetic behavior of single-wall ferromagnetic nanotubes

In this work we address the influence of the crystalline structure, concretely when the system under study is formed by square or hexagonal unit cells, upon the magnetic properties and pseudocritical behavior of single-wall ferromagnetic nanotubes. We focus not only on the effect of the geometrical shape of the unit cell but also on their dimensions. The model employed is based on the Monte Carlo method, the Metropolis dynamics and a nearest neighbors classical Heisenberg Hamiltonian. Magnetization per magnetic site, magnetic susceptibility, speci?c heat and magnetic energy were computed. These properties were computed varying the system size, unit cell dimension and temperature. The dependence of the nearest neighbor exchange integral on the nanotubes geometrical characteristics is also discussed. Results revealed a strong influence of the system topology on the magnetic properties caused by the difference in the coordination number between square and hexagonal unit cell. Moreover, the nanotubes diameter influence on magnetic properties is only observed at very low values, when the distance between atoms is less than it, presented by the 2D sheet. On the other hand, it was concluded that the surface-related finite-size effects do not influence the magnetic nanotubes properties, contrary to the case of other nano-systems as thin films and nanoparticles among others.     

Anomalous scaling in the Zhang model

We apply the moment analysis technique to analyze large scale simulations of the Zhang sandpile model. We find that this model shows different scaling behavior depending on the update mechanism used. With the standard parallel updating, the Zhang model violates the finite-size scaling hypothesis, and it also appears to be incompatible with the more general multifractal scaling form. This makes impossible its affiliation to any one of the known universality classes of sandpile models. With sequential updating, it shows scaling for the size and area distribution. The introduction of stochasticity into the toppling rules of the parallel Zhang model leads to a scaling behavior compatible with the Manna universality class. Received 8 August 2000 and Received in final form 4 October 2000     

Fermi surface renormalization and quantum confinement in the two-coupled chains model

In this paper we propose a Heisenberg variational approach to study pseudo-critical phenomena on ferromagnetic nanostructures. We combine a two-spin cluster 3-dimensional Heisenberg Hamiltonian with Orstein-Zernike correlations and consider several geometries and crystalline lattices to explore the relationship among these factors and the effective number of nearest neighbors defined in several kind of nanometric structures. With this method we examine the size at which the pseudo-critical temperature of a magnetic nanoparticle reaches its bulk value. Our results shed light on the nanoscopic-microscopic limit, evidencing in particular that when one dimension is very small, independently of how big the other dimensions become, it is not possible for the structure to reach the bulk-like behavior. The results of our model are in good agreement with experimental data and other available analytical models.     

A class of stochastic evolutions that scale to the porous medium equation

A class of reversible Markov jump processes on a periodic lattice is described and a result about their scaling behavior stated: Under diffusion scaling, the empirical measure converges to a solution of the porous medium equation on thed-dimensional torus. The process can be viewed as a randomly interacting configuration of sticks that evolves through exchanges of stick pieces between nearest neighbors through a zero-range pressure mechanism, with conservation of total stick length.     

SIR model of epidemic spread with accumulated exposure

We study an extended and modified SIR model of epidemic spread in which susceptible agents during interactions with infectious neighbors are exposed to the disease and can consequently become infectious. The studied model is extended to include heterogeneity of interactions which is modelled assuming random character of the dose accumulated by susceptible agents in every interaction with infectious neighbors. When the accumulated exposure is larger than the individual’s resistance, an agent becomes infectious and consequently introduces a new source of an epidemic which is capable of passing the disease further. We study statistical properties characterizing the course of an epidemic. The examination of the modified SIR model reveals a possible “resonant activation”-like behavior of the system in the duration of the epidemic outbreak and a possible bistable behavior of the model with accumulated exposure. Furthermore, the linear scaling of the duration of the epidemic with the system size for a wide range of the model parameters is recorded.     

A colloidal model system with tunable disorder: Solid-fluid transition and discontinuities in the limit of zero disorder

We study a colloidal model system where disorder can be continuously tuned from no disorder --corresponding to a system that can crystallize-- to large disorder where geometrical frustration occurs. The model system consists of colloidal particles with screened electrostatic repulsion. They can only move on single lines which are parallel and equidistant to each other. We introduce disorder by modulating the particle line density. The system exhibits a solid-to-fluid transition which we study by the structure factor and the temporal evolution of the mean-square distance of nearest neighbors on neighboring lines. A determining feature is the occurrence of discontinuities when disorder is tuned to zero. We observe that the peak height of the pair correlation function in the solid phase does not extrapolate to the value of the perfect crystal. Similarly, the mean interaction energy and the screening length at which the solid-fluid transition occurs seem to be discontinuous when the limit of zero disorder is approached.     

Iterated Fully Coordinated Percolation on a Square Lattice

We study, on a square lattice, an extension to fully coordinated percolation which we call iterated fully coordinated percolation. In fully coordinated percolation, sites become occupied if all four of its nearest neighbors are also occupied. Repeating this site selection process again yields the iterated fully coordinated percolation model. Our results show a large enhancement in the size of highly connected regions after each iteration (from ordinary to fully coordinated and then to iterated fully coordinated percolation); enhancements that are much larger than an extension of correlations by an extra lattice constant might suggest. We also study the universality among the three problems by determining the corresponding static and dynamic critical exponents. Specifically, a new method to directly calculate the walk dimension, d _w , using finite size scaling applied to normal mode analysis is used. This method is applicable to any geometry and requires significantly less computation than previously known calculations to determine d _w .     

Computer simulations of the forest-fire model

We present results of simulations of the forest-fire model proposed by P. Bak et al. containing a tree growth rate p and fire spreading to nearest neighbors. The space-time structure of the fire and the scaling properties of the forest clusters show that the model cannot be critical in the limit p → 0. Instead we observe regular and quasideterministic spiral-shaped fire fronts. We present a deterministic forest-fire model that helps understand the origin of these spirals.     

Time distribution and loss of scaling in granular flow

Two cellular automata models with directed mass flow and internal time scales are studied by numerical simulations. Relaxation rules are a combination of probabilistic critical height (probability of toppling p) and deterministic critical slope processes with internal correlation time t_c equal to the avalanche lifetime, in model A, and ,in model B. In both cases nonuniversal scaling properties of avalanche distributions are found for , where is related to directed percolation threshold in d=3. Distributions of avalanche durations for are studied in detail, exhibiting multifractal scaling behavior in model A, and finite size scaling behavior in model B, and scaling exponents are determined as a function of p. At a phase transition to noncritical steady state occurs. Due to difference in the relaxation mechanisms, avalanche statistics at approaches the parity conserving universality class in model A, and the mean-field universality class in model B. We also estimate roughness exponent at the transition. Received: 29 May 1998 / Revised: 8 September 1998 / Accepted: 10 September 1998     

A study of the critical properties of the Ising model on body-centered cubic lattice taking into account the interaction of next behind nearest neighbors

The replica Monte Carlo method has been used to investigate the critical behavior of a threedimensional antiferromagnetic Ising model on a body-centered cubic lattice, taking into account interactions of the adjacent behind neighbors. Investigations are carried out for the ratios of the values of exchange interactions behind the nearest and next nearest neighbors k = J ₂/J ₁ in the range of k ∈ [0.0, 1.0] with the step Δk = 0.1. In the framework of the theory of finite-dimensional scaling the static critical indices of heat capacity α, susceptibility γ, of the order parameter β, correlation radius ν, and also the Fisher index η are calculated. It is shown that the universality class of the critical behavior of this model is kept in the interval of k ∈ [0.0, 0.6]. It is established that a nonuniversal critical behavior is observed in the range k ∈ [0.8, 1.0].     

Dynamics of colloidal crystals

We study the lattice dynamics of colloidal crystals on the assumption that the potential interactions are limited to nearest neighbors and next nearest neighbors and that the long range hydrodynamic interactions may be treated in point approximation. We show that this does not lead to satisfactory agreement with existing experimental data.     

Examination of bounds on the chemical potential,using a one-dimensional system

A recently devised method of establishing arbitrarily close upper and lower bounds on the chemical potential for certain kinds of thermodynamic systems is applied to a one-dimensional lattice system whose sites cannot accept particles as nearest neighbors, i.e., whose particles repel one another when they are nearest neighbors. Theexact chemical potential is found to always lie within the bounds, and the convergence of the bounds is examined for lattices of increasing size. The system, of course, lacks a phase transition, but its study, which is both brief and simple, is useful for the purposes of illustration and completeness.This work has been supported by NSF Grant No. CHE 81-12658.     

Transition from Pareto to Boltzmann-Gibbs behavior in a deterministic economic model

The one-dimensional deterministic economic model recently studied by González-Estévez et al. [J. González-Estévez, M.G. Cosenza, R. López-Ruiz, J.R. Sanchez, Physica A 387 (2008) 4637] is considered on a two-dimensional square lattice with periodic boundary conditions. In this model, the evolution of each agent is described by a map coupled with its nearest neighbors. The map has two factors: a linear term that accounts for the agent’s own tendency to grow and an exponential term that saturates this growth through the control effect of the environment. The regions in the parameter space where the system displays Pareto and Boltzmann-Gibbs statistics are calculated for the cases of the von Neumann and the Moore neighborhood. It is found that, even when the parameters in the system are kept fixed, a transition from Pareto to Boltzmann-Gibbs behavior can occur when the number of neighbors of each agent increases.