arXiv subjects

Gerald Paul

Publications and source records attributed to Gerald Paul.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2002

Beyond Blobs in Percolation Cluster Structure: The Distribution of 3-Blocks at the Percolation Threshold

The incipient infinite cluster appearing at the bond percolation threshold can be decomposed into singly-connected ``links'' and multiply-connected ``blobs.'' Here we decompose blobs into objects known in graph theory as 3-blocks. A 3-block is a graph that cannot be separated into disconnected subgraphs by cutting the graph at 2 or fewer vertices. Clusters, blobs, and 3-blocks are special cases of $k$-blocks with $k=1$, 2, and 3, respectively. We study bond percolation clusters at the percolation threshold on 2-dimensional square lattices and 3-dimensional cubic lattices and, using Monte-Carlo simulations, determine the distribution of the sizes of the 3-blocks into which the blobs are decomposed. We find that the 3-blocks have fractal dimension $d_3=1.2\pm 0.1$ in 2D and $1.15\pm 0.1$ in 3D. These fractal dimensions are significantly smaller than the fractal dimensions of the blobs, making possible more efficient calculation of percolation properties. Additionally, the closeness of the estimated values for $d_3$ in 2D and 3D is consistent with the possibility that $d_3$ is dimension independent. Generalizing the concept of the backbone, we introduce the concept of a ``$k$-bone'', which is the set of all points in a percolation system connected to $k$ disjoint terminal points (or sets of disjoint terminal points) by $k$ disjoint paths. We argue that the fractal dimension of a $k$-bone is equal to the fractal dimension of $k$-blocks, allowing us to discuss the relation between the fractal dimension of $k$-blocks and recent work on path crossing probabilities.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2001

Scaling of Cluster and Backbone Mass Between Two Lines in 3d Percolation

We consider the cluster and backbone mass distributions between two lines of arbitrary orientations and lengths in porous media in three dimensions, and model the porous media by bond percolation at the percolation threshold $p_c$. We observe that for many geometrical configurations the mass probability distribution presents power law behavior. We determine how the characteristic mass of the distribution scales with such geometrical parameters as the line length, w, the minimal distance between lines, r, and the angle between the lines, $θ$. The fractal dimensions of both the cluster and backbone mass are independent of w, r, and $θ$. The slope of the power law regime of the cluster mass is unaffected by changes in these three variables. However, the slope of the power law regime of the backbone mass distribution is dependent upon $θ$. The characteristic mass of the cluster also depends upon $θ$, but the characteristic backbone mass is only weakly affected by $θ$. We propose new scaling functions that reproduce the $θ$ dependence of the characteristic mass found in the simulations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2001

Percolation Threshold, Fisher Exponent, and Shortest Path Exponent for 4 and 5 Dimensions

We develop a method of constructing percolation clusters that allows us to build very large clusters using very little computer memory by limiting the maximum number of sites for which we maintain state information to a number of the order of the number of sites in the largest chemical shell of the cluster being created. The memory required to grow a cluster of mass s is of the order of $s^θ$ bytes where $θ$ ranges from 0.4 for 2-dimensional lattices to 0.5 for 6- (or higher)-dimensional lattices. We use this method to estimate $d_{\scriptsize min}$, the exponent relating the minimum path $\ell$ to the Euclidean distance r, for 4D and 5D hypercubic lattices. Analyzing both site and bond percolation, we find $d_{\scriptsize min}=1.607\pm 0.005$ (4D) and $d_{\scriptsize min}=1.812\pm 0.006$ (5D). In order to determine $d_{\scriptsize min}$ to high precision, and without bias, it was necessary to first find precise values for the percolation threshold, $p_c$: $p_c=0.196889\pm 0.000003$ (4D) and $p_c=0.14081\pm 0.00001$ (5D) for site and $p_c=0.160130\pm 0.000003$ (4D) and $p_c=0.118174\pm 0.000004$ (5D) for bond percolation. We also calculate the Fisher exponent, $τ$, determined in the course of calculating the values of $p_c$: $τ=2.313\pm 0.003$ (4D) and $τ=2.412\pm 0.004$ (5D).

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2000

Flow Between Two Sites on a Percolation Cluster

We study the flow of fluid in porous media in dimensions $d=2$ and 3. The medium is modeled by bond percolation on a lattice of $L^d$ sites, while the flow front is modeled by tracer particles driven by a pressure difference between two fixed sites (``wells'') separated by Euclidean distance $r$. We investigate the distribution function of the shortest path connecting the two sites, and propose a scaling {\it Ansatz} that accounts for the dependence of this distribution (i) on the size of the system, $L$, and (ii) on the bond occupancy probability, $p$. We confirm by extensive simulations that the {\it Ansatz} holds for $d=2$ and 3, and calculate the relevant scaling parameters. We also study two dynamical quantities: the minimal traveling time of a tracer particle between the wells and the length of the path corresponding to the minimal traveling time ``fastest path'', which is not identical to the shortest path. A scaling {\it Ansatz} for these dynamical quantities also includes the effect of finite system size $L$ and off-critical bond occupation probability $p$. We find that the scaling form for the distribution functions for these dynamical quantities for $d=2$ and 3 is similar to that for the shortest path but with different critical exponents. The scaling form is represented as the product of a power law and three exponential cutoff functions. We summarize our results in a table which contains estimates for all parameters which characterize the scaling form for the shortest path and the minimal traveling time in 2 and 3 dimensions; these parameters are the fractal dimension, the power law exponent, and the constants and exponents that characterize the exponential cutoff functions.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1999

Dependence of Conductance on Percolation Backbone Mass

On two-dimensional percolation clusters at the percolation threshold, we study $<σ(M_B,r)>$, the average conductance of the backbone, defined by two points separated by Euclidean distance $r$, of mass $M_B$. We find that with increasing $M_B$ and for fixed r, $<σ(M_B,r)>$ asymptotically {\it decreases} to a constant, in contrast with the behavior of homogeneous sytems and non-random fractals (such as the Sierpinski gasket) in which conductance increases with increasing $M_B$. We explain this behavior by studying the distribution of shortest paths between the two points on clusters with a given $M_B$. We also study the dependence of conductance on $M_B$ slightly above the percolation threshold.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1999

Traveling time and traveling length for flow in porous media

We study traveling time and traveling length for tracer dispersion in porous media. We model porous media by two-dimensional bond percolation, and we model flow by tracer particles driven by a pressure difference between two points separated by Euclidean distance $r$. We find that the minimal traveling time $t_{min}$ scales as $t_{min} \sim r^{1.40}$, which is different from the scaling of the most probable traveling time, ${\tilde t} \sim r^{1.64}$. We also calculate the length of the path corresponding to the minimal traveling time and find $\ell_{min} \sim r^{1.13}$ and that the most probable traveling length scales as ${\tilde \ell} \sim r^{1.21}$. We present the relevant distribution functions and scaling relations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗