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F. Westerhoff

Publications and source records attributed to F. Westerhoff.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

A multi-agent-based approach to tax morale

We embed the behaviour of tax evasion into the standard two-dimensional Ising model. In the presence of an external magnetic field, the Ising model is able to generate the empirically observed effect of tax morale, i.e. the phenomenon that in some countries tax evasion is either rather high or low. The external magnetic field captures the agents' trust in governmental institutions. We also find that tax authorities may curb tax evasion via appropriate enforcement mechanisms. Our results are robust for the Barabási-Albert and Voronoi-Delaunay networks.

physics.soc-ph

Kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations of sintering

We simulate the sintering of particle aggregates due to surface diffusion. As a method we use Kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations in which elasticity can explicitly be taken into account. Therefore it is possible to investigate the shape relaxation of aggregates also under the influence of an external pressure. Without elasticity we investigate the relaxation time and surface evolution of sintering aggregates and compare the simulations with the classical Koch-Friedlander theory. Deviations from the theoretical predictions will be discussed.

cond-mat.stat-mech

Tobin tax and market depth

This paper investigates - on the basis of the Cont-Bouchaud model - whether a Tobin tax can stabilize foreign exchange markets. Compared to earlier studies, this paper explicitly recognizes that a transaction tax-induced reduction in market depth may increase the price responsiveness of a given order. We find that the imposition of a transaction tax may still achieve a triple dividend: (1) exchange rate fluctuations decrease, (2) currencies are less mispriced, and (3) central authorities raise substantial tax revenues. However, if the price impact function is too sensitive with respect to market depth, stabilization may turn into destabilization.

cond-mat.stat-mech

Layer-by-layer growth for pulsed laser deposition

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a popular growth method, which has been successfully used for fabricating thin films. Compared to continuous deposition (like molecular beam epitaxy) the pulse intensity can be used as an additional parameter for tuning the growth behavior, so that under certain circumstances PLD improves layer-by-layer growth. We present kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations for PLD in the submonolayer regime and give a description of the island distance versus intensity. Furthermore we discuss a theory for second layer nucleation and the impact of Ehrlich-Schwoebel barriers on the growth behavior. We find an exact analytical expression for the probability of second layer nucleation during one pulse for high Ehrlich-Schwoebel barriers.

cond-mat.stat-mech

Layer-by-layer pattern propagtion and pulsed laser deposition

In this article kinetic Monte Carlo simulations for molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and pulsed laser depositon (PLD) are compared. It will be shown that an optimal pattern conservation during MBE is achieved for a specific ratio of diffusion to deposition rate. Further on pulsed laser deposition is presented as an alternative way to control layer by layer growth. First results concerning the island density in the submonolayer regime are shown.

cond-mat.stat-mech