Damage-spreading dynamic scaling for the ising model on the sierpinski gasket fractal

We study the relaxation towards equilibrium of the ferromagnetic Ising model on the Sierpinski gasket, which is a fractal lattice. We do this by performing Monte Carlo simulations, based on the heat-bath dynamics, and investigating the time evolution of the Hamming distance between two different configurations of the model. Starting with an initial damage created in all lattice sites, we calculate the average values of two quantities that characterize the relaxation process: the nonlinear damage relaxation time (tau), and the time for all sites to be undamaged at least once (tau(c)). We find that tau diverges, at low temperatures, with a dynamical exponent z which depends linearly on the inverse of temperature, as predicted by a generalized scaling theory developed by Henley. There is a complete breakdown of scaling for tau(c).     

Dynamical scaling and kinetic roughening of single valued fronts propagating in fractal media

We consider the dynamical scaling and kinetic roughening of single-valued interfaces propagating in 2D fractal media. Assuming that the nearest-neighbor height difference distribution function of the fronts obeys Lévy statistics with a well-defined algebraic decay exponent, we consider the generalized scaling forms and derive analytic expressions for the local scaling exponents. We show that the kinetic roughening of the interfaces displays intrinsic anomalous scaling and multiscaling in the relevant correlation functions. We test the predictions of the scaling theory with a variety of well-known models which produce fractal growth structures. Results are in excellent agreement with theory. For some models, we find interesting crossover behavior related to large-scale structural instabilities of the growing aggregates. Received 22 May 2002 Published online 19 November 2002     

Scaling in nature: from DNA through heartbeats to weather.

The purpose of this report is to describe some recent progress in applying scaling concepts to various systems in nature. We review several systems characterized by scaling laws such as DNA sequences, heartbeat rates and weather variations. We discuss the finding that the exponent alpha quantifying the scaling in DNA in smaller for coding than for noncoding sequences. We also discuss the application of fractal scaling analysis to the dynamics of heartbeat regulation, and report the recent finding that the scaling exponent alpha is smaller during sleep periods compared to wake periods. We also discuss the recent findings that suggest a universal scaling exponent characterizing the weather fluctuations.     

分形基底上刻蚀模型动力学标度行为的 数值模拟研究

为探讨分形基底结构对生长表面标度行为的影响, 本文采用Kinetic Monte Carlo(KMC)方法模拟了刻蚀模型(etching model)在谢尔宾斯基箭头和蟹状分形基底上刻蚀表面的动力学行为. 研究表明,在两种分形基底上的刻蚀模型都表现出很好的动力学标度行为, 并且满足Family-Vicsek标度规律. 虽然谢尔宾斯基箭头和蟹状分形基底的分形维数相同, 但模拟得到的标度指数却不同, 并且粗糙度指数 α与动力学指数z也不满足在欧几里得基底上成立的标度关系α+z=2. 由此可以看出, 标度指数不仅与基底的分形维数有关, 而且和分形基底的具体结构有关.     

Influences of Fractal Substrate Structures on Dynamic Scaling Behaviors of Etching Model

The Etching model on various fractal substrates embedded in two dimensions was investigated by means of kinetic Mento Carlo method in order to determine the relationship between dynamic scaling exponents and fractal parameters. The fractal dimensions are from 1.465 to 1.893, and the random walk exponents are from 2.101 to 2.578.It is found that the dynamic behaviors on fractal lattices are more complex than those on integer dimensions. The roughness exponent increases with the increasing of the random walk exponent on the fractal substrates but shows a non-monotonic relation with respect to the fractal dimension. No monotonic change is observed in the growth exponent.     

A random field model for anomalous diffusion in heterogeneous porous media

Heterogeneity, as it occurs in porous media, is characterized in terms of a scaling exponent, or fractal dimension. A feature of primary interest for two-phase flow is the mixing length. This paper determines the relation between the scaling exponent for the heterogeneity and the scaling exponent which governs the mixing length. The analysis assumes a linear transport equation and uses random fields first in the characterization of the heterogeneity and second in the solution of the flow problem, in order to determine the mixing exponents. The scaling behavior changes from long-length-scale dominated to short-length-scale dominated at a critical value of the scaling exponent of the rock heterogeneity. The long-length-scale-dominated diffusion is anomalous.     

The Critical Behaviour of Conductivity for Some Two-Dimensional Fractals

The critical behaviour of conductivity for some two-dimensional fractals is studied by experiments. The results show that the conductivity exponent is fractal dimensionality dependent with exponential scaling behaviour but is fractal material independent.     

Universal scaling behaviour in weighted trade networks

Identifying universal patterns in complex economic systems can reveal the dynamics and organizing principles underlying the process of system evolution. We investigate the scaling behaviours that have emerged in the international trade system by describing them as a series of evolving weighted trade networks. The maximum-flow spanning trees (constructed by maximizing the total weight of the edges) of these networks exhibit two universal scaling exponents: (1) topological scaling exponent η = 1.30 and (2) flow scaling exponent ζ = 1.03.     

一个分段连续系统中的胖奇异集激变

报道一种有特色的激变.这种激变是在一类分段连续力场作用下的受击转子模型中观察到的.描述系统的二维映象定义域中的函数不连续边界随离散时间发展振荡，从而使这个边界的向前象集构成一个承载混沌运动的胖分形.在控制参数的一个阈值下，一个椭圆周期轨道突然出现在此胖混沌奇异集中，使得迭代向它逃逸，胖混沌奇异集因此突然变为一个胖瞬态集.在这种情况下，有可能根据椭圆周期轨道逃逸孔洞，以及胖分形奇异集的测度随参数变化的规律，估算迭代在奇异集中的平均生存时间所遵循的标度规律.直接数值计算和由此估算所得标度因子值可以很好地互相印证. 关键词： 激变 胖分形 分段连续系统 标度律     

Microrheology of the liquid-solid transition during gelation

The viscoelastic properties of physical and chemical polymer gels are characterized through the liquid-solid transition using particle tracking microrheology. Measurements of the probe particle mean-squared displacement are shifted as the extent of gelation increases to generate master curves. From the shift factors, we determine the gel point and critical scaling exponents. Both systems exhibit a critical relaxation exponent n approximately 0.6, where G' approximately G' approximately omega n for the incipient gel, consistent with the Rouse model of dynamic scaling in the percolation universality class.     

Surface structures of equilibrium restricted curvature model on two fractal substrates

With the aim to probe the effects of the microscopic details of fractal substrates on the scaling of discrete growth models, the surface structures of the equilibrium restricted curvature(ERC) model on Sierpinski arrowhead and crab substrates are analyzed by means of Monte Carlo simulations. These two fractal substrates have the same fractal dimension df, but possess different dynamic exponents of random walk zrw. The results show that the surface structure of the ERC model on fractal substrates are related to not only the fractal dimension df, but also to the microscopic structures of the substrates expressed by the dynamic exponent of random walk zrw. The ERC model growing on the two substrates follows the well-known Family–Vicsek scaling law and satisfies the scaling relations 2α + df≈ z ≈ 2zrw. In addition, the values of the scaling exponents are in good agreement with the analytical prediction of the fractional Mullins–Herring equation.     

Fractal dimension and size scaling of domains in thin films of multiferroic BiFeO3

Domains in ferroelectric films are usually smooth, stripelike, very thin compared with magnetic ones, and satisfy the Landau-Lifshitz-Kittel scaling law (width proportional to square root of film thickness). However, the ferroelectric domains in very thin films of multiferroic BiFeO3 have irregular domain walls characterized by a roughness exponent 0.5-0.6 and in-plane fractal Hausdorff dimension H||=1.4+/-0.1, and the domain size scales with an exponent 0.59+/-0.08 rather than 1/2. The domains are significantly larger than those of other ferroelectrics of the same thickness, and closer in size to those of magnetic materials, which is consistent with a strong magnetoelectric coupling at the walls. A general model is proposed for ferroelectrics, ferroelastics or ferromagnetic domains which relates the fractal dimension of the walls to domain size scaling.     

Electronic shot noise in fractal conductors

By solving a master equation in the Sierpiński lattice and in a planar random-resistor network, we determine the scaling with size L of the shot noise power P due to elastic scattering in a fractal conductor. We find a power-law scaling P proportional, variantL;{d_{f}-2-alpha}, with an exponent depending on the fractal dimension d_{f} and the anomalous diffusion exponent alpha. This is the same scaling as the time-averaged current I[over ], which implies that the Fano factor F=P/2eI[over ] is scale-independent. We obtain a value of F=1/3 for anomalous diffusion that is the same as for normal diffusion, even if there is no smallest length scale below which the normal diffusion equation holds. The fact that F remains fixed at 1/3 as one crosses the percolation threshold in a random-resistor network may explain recent measurements of a doping-independent Fano factor in a graphene flake.     

Dynamical generalized Hurst exponent as a tool to monitor unstable periods in financial time series

We investigate the use of the Hurst exponent, dynamically computed over a weighted moving time-window, to evaluate the level of stability/instability of financial firms. Financial firms bailed-out as a consequence of the 2007–2008 credit crisis show a neat increase with time of the generalized Hurst exponent in the period preceding the unfolding of the crisis. Conversely, firms belonging to other market sectors, which suffered the least throughout the crisis, show opposite behaviors. We find that the multifractality of the bailed-out firms increase at the crisis suggesting that the multi fractal properties of the time series are changing. These findings suggest the possibility of using the scaling behavior as a tool to track the level of stability of a firm. In this paper, we introduce a method to compute the generalized Hurst exponent which assigns larger weights to more recent events with respect to older ones. In this way large fluctuations in the remote past are less likely to influence the recent past. We also investigate the scaling associated with the tails of the log-returns distributions and compare this scaling with the scaling associated with the Hurst exponent, observing that the processes underlying the price dynamics of these firms are truly multi-scaling.     

Fractals and dynamical chaos in a random 2D Lorentz gas with sinks

Two-dimensional random Lorentz gases with absorbing traps are considered in which a moving point particle undergoes elastic collisions on hard disks and annihilates when reaching a trap. In systems of finite spatial extension, the asymptotic decay of the survival probability is exponential and characterized by an escape rate γ, which can be related to the average positive Lyapunov exponent and to the dimension of the fractal repeller of the system. For infinite systems, the survival probability obeys a stretched exponential law of the form P(c,t)∼exp(−Ct^1/2). The transition between the two regimes is studied and we show that, for a given trap density, the non-integer dimension of the fractal repeller increases with the system size to finally reach the integer dimension of the phase space. Nevertheless, the repeller remains fractal. We determine the special scaling properties of this fractal.     

The scaling behavior of the molecular parameters of the hyperbranched polymers made by self-condensing vinyl polymerization

The hyperbranched polymers can be made by self-condensing vinyl polymerization without gelation transition. The average molecular weights, as well as the average sizes, can reach infinite values as the reaction is quantitatively completed, and the scaling forms of the molecular parameters should exist. In the paper, based on a recursion formula, the scaling form of the number fraction distribution and the number of the n-mers are given analytically as the conversion of double bonds is near 1. The mean square radius of gyration for very large hyperbranched polymers is calculated explicitly to give a scaling exponent. Finally, a scaling relation associated with the fractal dimension and the polydispersity exponent is given clearly.     

Fat fractals in the lung? A comment on a paper by grebogi et al.

An exponent characterising the scaling behaviour of a branching structure occupying volume (an example of a “fat” fractal), introduced recently by Grebogi et al., is examined using data on the arteries, veins and airways of mammalian lungs. The results cast doubt on the usefulness of the exponent in this context.     

Dynamics of encapsulation and controlled release systems based on water-in-water emulsions: Liposomes and polymersomes

The deformation relaxation behavior of two types of vesicles, liposomes and polymersomes, was investigated using a general nonequilibrium thermodynamics theory based on the interfacial transport phenomena (ITP) formalism. Liposomes and polymersomes are limiting cases of this theory with respect to rheological behavior of the interfaces. They represent respectively viscous, and viscoelastic surface behavior. We have determined the longest relaxation time for a small perturbation of the interfaces for both these limiting cases. Parameter maps were calculated which can be used to determine when surface tension, bending rigidity, spontaneous curvature, interfacial permeability, or surface rheology dominate the response of the vesicles. In these systems up to nine different scaling regimes were identified for the relaxation time of a deformation with droplet size, with scaling exponent n ranging from 0 to 4.     

Dynamic scaling approach to glass formation

Experimental data for the temperature dependence of relaxation times are used to argue that the dynamic scaling form, with relaxation time diverging at the critical temperature T(c) as (T-T(c))(-nuz), is superior to the classical Vogel form. This observation leads us to propose that glass formation can be described by a simple mean-field limit of a phase transition. The order parameter is the fraction of all space that has sufficient free volume to allow substantial motion, and grows logarithmically above T(c). Diffusion of this free volume creates random walk clusters that have cooperatively rearranged. We show that the distribution of cooperatively moving clusters must have a Fisher exponent tau=2. Dynamic scaling predicts a power law for the relaxation modulus G(t) approximately t(-2/z), where z is the dynamic critical exponent relating the relaxation time of a cluster to its size. Andrade creep, universally observed for all glass-forming materials, suggests z=6. Experimental data on the temperature dependence of viscosity and relaxation time of glass-forming liquids suggest that the exponent nu describing the correlation length divergence in this simple scaling picture is not always universal. Polymers appear to universally have nuz=9 (making nu=3 / 2). However, other glass-formers have unphysically large values of nuz, suggesting that the availability of free volume is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for motion in these liquids. Such considerations lead us to assert that nuz=9 is in fact universal for all glass- forming liquids, but an energetic barrier to motion must also be overcome for strong glasses.