Critical behavior of self-avoiding walks on fractals

Using a new graph counting technique suitable for self-similar fractals, exact 18th-order series expansions for SAWs on some Sierpinski carpets are generated. From them, the critical fugacityx _c and critical exponents _SAW and _SAW are obtained. The results show a linear dependence of the critical fugacity with the average number of bonds per site of the lattices studied. We find for some carpets with low lacunarity that _SAW<0.75, thus violating the relation _SAW(fractal) > _SAW (d) for SAWs on the fractals which are embedded in ad-dimensional Euclidean space.     

Different types of self-avoiding walks on deterministic fractals

Normal and indefinitely-growing (IG) self-avoiding walks (SAWs) are exactly enumerated on several deterministic fractals (the Manderbrot-Given curve with and without dangling bonds, and the 3-simplex). On then th fractal generation, of linear sizeL, the average number of steps behaves asymptotically as N=AL ^D _saw+B. In contrast to SAWs on regular lattices, on these factals IGSAWs and normal SAWs have the same fractal dimensionD _saw. However, they have different amplitudes (A) and correction terms (B).     

Directed paths on percolation clusters

We consider a variant of the problem of directed polymers on a disordered lattice, in which the disorder is geometrical in nature. In particular, we allow a finite probability for each bond to be absent from the lattice. We show, through the use of numerical and scaling arguments on both Euclidean and hierarchical lattices, that the model has two distinct scaling behaviors, depending upon whether the concentration of bonds on the lattice is at or above the directed percolation threshold. We are particularly interested in the exponents and, defined by ft and xt , describing the free-energy and transverse fluctuations, respectively. Above the percolation threshold, the scaling behavior is governed by the standard random energy exponents (=1/3 and =2/3 in 1+1 dimensions). At the percolation threshold, we predict (and verify numerically in 1+1 dimensions) the exponents=1/2 and =v/v, where v and v are the directed percolation exponents. In addition, we predict the absence of a free phase in any dimension at the percolation threshold.     

Cluster Structure of Collapsing Polymers

In order to better understand the geometry of the polymer collapse transition, we study the distribution of geometric clusters made up of the nearest neighbor interactions of an interacting self-avoiding walk. We argue for this new correlated percolation problem that in two dimensions, and possibly also in three dimensions, a percolation transition takes place at a temperature lower than the collapse transition. Hence this novel transition should be governed by exponents unrelated to the -point exponents. This also implies that there is a temperature range in which the polymer has collapsed, but has no long-range cluster structure. We use Monte Carlo to study the distribution of clusters on the simple cubic and Manhattan lattices. On the Manhattan lattice, where the data are most convincing, we find that the percolation transition occurs at _p =1.461(3), while the collapse transition is known to occur exactly at =1.414.... We propose a finite-size scaling form for the cluster distribution and estimate several of the critical exponents. Regardless of the value of _p , this percolation problem sheds new light on polymer collapse.     

Self-avoiding walks in quenched random environments

The self-avoiding walk in a quenched random environment is studied using real-space and field-theoretic renormalization and Flory arguments. These methods indicate that the system is described, ford _c =4, and, for large disorder ford>d _c , by a strong disorder fixed point corresponding to a glass state in which the polymer is confined to the lowest energy path. This fixed point is characterized by scaling laws for the size of the walk,LN ^p withN the number of steps, and the fluctuations in the free energy,fL ^p. The bound 1/-d/2 is obtained. Exact results on hierarchical lattices yield> _pure and suggests that this inequality holds ford=2 and 3, although= _pure cannot be excluded, particularly ford=2. Ford>d _c there is a transition between strong and weak disorder phases at which= _pure. The strong-disorder fixed point for SAWs on percolation clusters is discussed. The analogy with directed walks is emphasized.     

High-precision Monte Carlo test of the conformai-invariance predictions for two-dimensional mutually avoiding walks

Let _l be the critical exponent associated with the probability thatl independentN-step ordinary random walks, starting at nearby points, are mutually avoiding. Using Monte Carlo methods combined with a maximum-likelihood data analysis, we find that in two dimensions ₂=0.6240±0.0005±0.0011 and ₃=1.4575±0.0030±0.0052, where the first error bar represents systematic error due to corrections to scaling (subjective 95% confidence limits) and the second error bar represents statistical error (classical 95% confidence limits). These results are in good agreement with the conformal-invariance predictions ₂=5/8 and ₃=35/24.     

On the survival probability of a random walk in a finite lattice with a single trap

We consider the survival of a random walker in a finite lattice with periodic boundary conditions. The initial position of the random walker is uniformly distributed on the lattice with respect to the trap. We show that the survival of a random walker, U _n>, can be exactly related to the expected number of distinct sites visted on a trap-free lattice by U _n=1–S _n/N ^D (*) whereN ^D is the number of lattice points inD dimensions. We then analyze the behavior of S_n in any number of dimensions by using Tauberian methods. We find that at sufficiently long times S _n decays exponentially withn in all numbers of dimensions. InD = 1 and 2 dimensions there is an intermediate behavior which can be calculated and is valid forN ²N 1 whenD = 1 andN lnN n 1 whenD = 2. No such crossover exists when Z3. The form of (*) suggests that the single trap approximation is indeed a valid low-concentration limit for survival on an infinite lattice with a finite concentration of traps.     

On the critical exponent for random walk intersections

The exponent _d for the probability of nonintersection of two random walks starting at the same point is considered. It is proved that 1/2<₂3/4. Monte Carlo simulations are done to suggest ₂=0.61 and ₃0.29.     

Monte Carlo study of the ising model phase transition in terms of the percolation transition of “physical clusters”

Finite squareL×L Ising lattices with ferromagnetic nearest neighbor interaction are simulated using the Swendsen-Wang cluster algorithm. Both thermal properties (internal energyU, specific heatC, magnetization |M|, susceptibility) and percolation cluster properties relating to the physical clusters, namely the Fortuin-Kasteleyn clusters (percolation probability P , percolation susceptibility _p, cluster size distributionn _l) are evaluated, paying particular attention to finite-size effects. It is shown that thermal properties can be expressed entirely in terms of cluster properties, P being identical to |M| in the thermodynamic limit, while finite-size corrections differ. In contrast, _p differs from even in the thermodynamic limit, since a fluctuation in the size of the percolating net contributes to, but not to _p. NearT _c the cluster size distribution has the scaling properties as hypothesized by earlier phenomenological theories. We also present a generalization of the Swendsen-Wang algorithm allowing one to cross over continuously to the Glauber dynamics.     

Some critical exponent inequalities for percolation

For a large class of independent (site or bond, short- or long-range) percolation models, we show the following: (1) If the percolation densityP (p) is discontinuous atp _c , then the critical exponent (defined by the divergence of expected cluster size, nP _n (p) (P _c –P)^– asp p _c ) must satisfy 2. (2) or (defined analogously to, but asp p _c ) and [P _n (p _c ) (n ^–1–1/) asn ] must satisfy, 2(1 – 1/). These inequalities for improve the previously known bound 1(Aizenman and Newman), since 2 (Aizenman and Barsky). Additionally, result 1may be useful, in standardd-dimensional percolation, for proving rigorously (ind>2) that, as expected,P _x has no discontinuity atp _c .     

Critical exponents for the self-avoiding random walk in three dimensions

We compute by direct Monte Carlo simulation the main critical exponents, , ₄, andv and the effective coordination number for the self-avoiding random walk in three dimensions on a cubic lattice. We find both hyperscaling relationsdv=2– anddv– 2 ₄+=0 satisfied ind = 3.     

Two-dimensional oriented self-avoiding walks with parallel contacts

Oriented self-avoiding walks (OSAWs) on a square lattice are studied, with binding energies between steps that are oriented parallel across a face of the lattice. By means of exact enumeration and Monte Carlo simulation, we reconstruct the shape of the partition function and show that this system features of first-order phase transition from a free phase to a tight-spiral phase at _s =log(), where -2.638 is the growth constant for SAWs. With Monte Carlo simulations we show that parallel contacts happen predominantly between a step close to the end of the OSAW and another step nearby; this appears to cause the expected number of parallel contacts to saturate at large lengths of the OSAW.     

Asymptotic behavior of densities for two-particle annihilating random walks

Consider the system of particles on ^d where particles are of two types—A andB—and execute simple random walks in continuous time. Particles do not interact with their own type, but when anA-particle meets aB-particle, both disappear, i.e., are annihilated. This system serves as a model for the chemical reactionA+B inert. We analyze the limiting behavior of the densities _A (t) and _B (t) when the initial state is given by homogeneous Poisson random fields. We prove that for equal initial densities _A (0)= _B (0) there is a change in behavior fromd4, where _A (t)= _B (t)C/t ^d /4, tod4, where _A (t)= _B (t)C/tast. For unequal initial densities _A (0)< _B (0), _A (t)e ^–cl ind=1, _A (t)e ^–Ct/logt ind=2, and _A (t)e ^–Ct ind3. The termC depends on the initial densities and changes withd. Techniques are from interacting particle systems. The behavior for this two-particle annihilation process has similarities to those for coalescing random walks (A+AA) and annihilating random walks (A+Ainert). The analysis of the present process is made considerably more difficult by the lack of comparison with an attractive particle system.     

Self-avoiding walks on percolation clusters at criticality and lattice animals

We use the real-space renormalization group method to study the critical behavior of self-avoiding walks (SAWs) on both site percolation clusters at percolation threshold and site lattice animals in a square lattice. The correlation length exponents of SAWs are found to be on the percolation clusters atp _c and _SAW ^LA =0.804 on lattice animals. These results are compared with Kremer's suggestion of modified Flory formula where is the fractal dimension of the fractal object.     

Exponential convergence to equilibrium for a class of random-walk models

We prove exponential convergence to equilibrium (L ² geometric ergodicity) for a random walk with inward drift on a sub-Cayley rooted tree. This randomwalk model generalizes a Monte Carlo algorithm for the self-avoiding walk proposed by Berretti and Sokal. If the number of vertices of levelN in the tree grows asC _N ~ ^N N ^–1 , we prove that the autocorrelation time satisfies N² N¹⁺     

Spatial structure in diffusion-limited two-particle reactions

We analyze the limiting behavior of the densities _A(t) and _B(t), and the random spatial structure(r) = ( _A(t)., _B(t)), for the diffusion-controlled chemical reaction A+Binert. For equal initial densities _B(0) = _b(0) there is a change in behavior fromd 4, where _A(t) = _B(t) C/t^d/4, tod 4, where _A(t) = _b(t) C/t ast ; the termC depends on the initial densities and changes withd. There is a corresponding change in the spatial structure. Ind < 4, the particle types separate with only one type present locally, and , after suitable rescaling, tends to a random Gaussian process. Ind >4, both particle types are, after large times, present locally in concentrations not depending on type or location. Ind=4, both particle types are present locally, but with random concentrations, and the process tends to a limit.     

The contrast gain in a guest-host nematic display due to a periodic boundary condition

The mean square tilt angle of a nematic slab with finite anchoring energy and periodic boundary conditions has been theoretically investigated, as a function of the slab geometry and of the reduced extrapolation length. If the anchoring strength is free-surfacelike, the contrast is affected by a loss 10% at room temperature if the ratio between the anchoring pitch and the cell thickness is 0.5.Glossary anchoring pitch - h cell thickness - /h - ( = x/, = y/h) reduced coordinates - (, ) local tilt angle - elastic constant - w_a anchoring energy anisotropy - b=/w _a de Gennes-Kleman extrapolation length - B=b/h reduced extrapolation length - T _NI nematic-isotropic transition temperature - :=(T/T _NI ) – 1 reduced temperature - easy axis direction - _MAX - _± ² mean square tilt angle along the boundary - () absorbance coefficients of the p-dye - r /: dichroic ratio - c contrast - G contrast gain - S order parameter     

Analytic study of power spectra of the tent maps near band-splitting transitions

Successive band-splitting transitions occur in the one-dimensional map x_i+1=g(x_i),i=0, 1, 2,... withg(x)=x, (0 x 1/2) –x +, (1/2 <x 1) as the parameter is changed from 2 to 1. The transition point fromN (=2ⁿ) bands to 2Nbands is given by=(2)^1/N (n=0, 1,2,...). The time-correlation function _i=x_ix₀/(x₀)²,x_i x_i–x_i is studied in terms of the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the Frobenius-Perron operator of the map. It is shown that, near the transition point=2, _i–[(10–42)/17] _i,0-[(102-8)/51]_i,1 + [(7 + 42)/17](–1)ⁱe^–yi, where2(–2) is the damping constant and vanishes at=2, representing the critical slowing-down. This critical phenomenon is in strong contrast to the topologically invariant quantities, such as the Lyapunov exponent, which do not exhibit any anomaly at=2. The asymptotic expression for _i has been obtained by deriving an analytic form of _i for a sequence of which accumulates to 2 from the above. Near the transition point=(2)^1/N, the damping constant of _i fori N is given by _N=2(^N-2)/N. Numerical calculation is also carried out for arbitrary a and is shown to be consistent with the analytic results.     

Scaling relationships for anisotropic random walks

Aspects of transport in a highly multiple-scattering environment are investigated by examining random walkers moving in media having anisotropic angular scattering cross sections (turn-angle distributions). A general expression is obtained for the mean square displacement x² of a random walker executing ann-step walk in an infinite homogeneous material, and results are used to predict scaling relations for the probability() that a walker returns to the planar surface of a semi-infinite medium at a distance from the point of its insertion.     

More inequalities for critical exponents

A variety of rigorous inequalities for critical exponents is proved. Most notable is the low-temperature Josephson inequalitydv +2 2–. Others are 1 1 +v, 1 1 , 1,d 1 + 1/ (for d),dv, ₃ + (for d), ₄ , and _{2m 2m+2} (form 2). The hypotheses vary; all inequalities are true for the spin-1/2 Ising model with nearest-neighbor ferromagnetic pair interactions.NSF Predoctoral Fellow (1976–1979). Research supported in part by NSF Grant PHY 78-23952.