arXiv subjects

Ronald Dickman

Publications and source records attributed to Ronald Dickman.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2000

First- and second-order phase transitions in a driven lattice gas with nearest-neighbor exclusion

A lattice gas with infinite repulsion between particles separated by $\leq 1$ lattice spacing, and nearest-neighbor hopping dynamics, is subject to a drive favoring movement along one axis of the square lattice. The equilibrium (zero drive) transition to a phase with sublattice ordering, known to be continuous, shifts to lower density, and becomes discontinuous for large bias. In the ordered nonequilibrium steady state, both the particle and order-parameter densities are nonuniform, with a large fraction of the particles occupying a jammed strip oriented along the drive. The relaxation exhibits features reminiscent of models of granular and glassy materials.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2000

Paths to Self-Organized Criticality

We present a pedagogical introduction to self-organized criticality (SOC), unraveling its connections with nonequilibrium phase transitions. There are several paths from a conventional critical point to SOC. They begin with an absorbing-state phase transition (directed percolation is a familiar example), and impose supervision or driving on the system; two commonly used methods are extremal dynamics, and driving at a rate approaching zero. We illustrate this in sandpiles, where SOC is a consequence of slow driving in a system exhibiting an absorbing-state phase transition with a conserved density. Other paths to SOC, in driven interfaces, the Bak-Sneppen model, and self-organized directed percolation, are also examined. We review the status of experimental realizations of SOC in light of these observations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2000

Interface Scaling in the Contact Process

Scaling properties of an interface representation of the critical contact process are studied in dimensions 1 - 3. Simulations confirm the scaling relation beta_W = 1 - theta between the interface-width growth exponent beta_W and the exponent theta governing the decay of the order parameter. A scaling property of the height distribution, which serves as the basis for this relation, is also verified. The height-height correlation function shows clear signs of anomalous scaling, in accord with Lopez' analysis [Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 4594 (1999)], but no evidence of multiscaling.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2000

Absorbing-state phase transitions in fixed-energy sandpiles

We study sandpile models as closed systems, with conserved energy density $ζ$ playing the role of an external parameter. The critical energy density, $ζ_c$, marks a nonequilibrium phase transition between active and absorbing states. Several fixed-energy sandpiles are studied in extensive simulations of stationary and transient properties, as well as the dynamics of roughening in an interface-height representation. Our primary goal is to identify the universality classes of such models, in hopes of assessing the validity of two recently proposed approaches to sandpiles: a phenomenological continuum Langevin description with absorbing states, and a mapping to driven interface dynamics in random media. Our results strongly suggest that there are at least three distinct universality classes for sandpiles.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1999

Nonuniversality and critical point shift in systems with infinitely many absorbing configurations

A detailed study of critical spreading in the one-dimensional pair contact process is performed using a recently devised reweighting method. The results confirm the validity of a generalized hyperscaling relation among the (nonuniversal) spreading exponents, and support the assertion that the critical point location does not depend on the particle density ϕ. It appears that the exponents z and delta+eta, once thought to be invariant, exhibit a systematic dependence on ϕ.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1999

Phase Diagram of the Lattice Restricted Primitive Model

We present a comprehensive study of the lattice restricted primitive model, i.e., a lattice gas consisting of an equal number of positively and negatively charged particles interacting via on-site exclusion and a 1/r potential. On the cubic lattice, Monte Carlo simulations show a line of Neel points separating a disordered, high-temperature phase from a phase with global antiferromagnetic order. At low temperatures the (high-density) ordered phase coexists with the (low-density) disordered phase. The Neel line meets the coexistence curve at a tricritical point, T_t \simeq 0.14, rho_t \simeq 0.4. A simple mean-field analysis is in qualitative agreement with simulations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1999

The Pair Contact Process in Two Dimensions

We study the stationary properties of the two-dimensional pair contact process, a nonequilibrium lattice model exhibiting a phase transition to an absorbing state with an infinite number of configurations. The critical probability and static critical exponents are determined via Monte Carlo simulations, as well as order-parameter moment ratios and the scaling of the initial density decay. The static critical properties are consistent with the directed percolation universality class.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1999

Avalanche and spreading exponents in systems with absorbing states

We present generic scaling laws relating spreading critical exponents and avalanche exponents (in the sense of self-organized criticality) in general systems with absorbing states. Using these scaling laws we present a collection of the state-of-the-art exponents for directed percolation, dynamical percolation and other universality classes. This collection of results should help to elucidate the connections of self-organized criticality and systems with absorbing states. In particular, some non-universality in avalanche exponents is predicted for systems with many absorbing states.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1999

Reweighting in nonequilibrium simulations

A simple reweighting scheme is proposed for Monte Carlo simulations of interacting particle systems, permitting one to study various parameter values in a single study, and improving efficiency by an order of magnitude. Unlike earlier reweighting schemes, the present approach does not require knowledge of the stationary probability distribution, and so is applicable out of equilibrium. The method is applied to the contact process in two and three dimensions, yielding the critical parameter and spreading exponents to unprecedented precision.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1998

Theory of the NO+CO surface reaction model

We derive a pair approximation (PA) for the NO+CO model with instantaneous reactions. For both the triangular and square lattices, the PA, derived here using a simpler approach, yields a phase diagram with an active state for CO-fractions y in the interval y_1 < y < y_2, with a continuous (discontinuous) phase transition to a poisoned state at y_1 (y_2). This is in qualitative agreement with simulation for the triangular lattice, where our theory gives a rather accurate prediction for y_2. To obtain the correct phase diagram for the square lattice, i.e., no active state, we reformulate the PA using sublattices. The (formerly) active regime is then replaced by a poisoned state with broken symmetry (unequal sub- lattice coverages), as observed recently by Kortluke et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 275, 85 (1997)]. In contrast with their approach, in which the active state persists, although reduced in extent, we report here the first qualitatively correct theory of the NO+CO model on the square lattice. Surface diffusion of nitrogen can lead to an active state in this case. In one dimension, the PA predicts that diffusion is required for the existence of an active state.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1998

Driving, conservation and absorbing states in sandpiles

We use a phenomenological field theory, reflecting the symmetries and conservation laws of sandpiles, to compare the driven dissipative sandpile, widely studied in the context of self-organized criticality, with the corresponding fixed-energy model. The latter displays an absorbing-state phase transition with upper critical dimension $d_c=4$. We show that the driven model exhibits a fundamentally different approach to the critical point, and compute a subset of critical exponents. We present numerical simulations in support of our theoretical predictions.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1998

Moment ratios for absorbing-state phase transitions

We determine the first through fourth moments of the order parameter, and various ratios, for several one- and two-dimensional models with absorbing-state phase transitions. We perform a detailed analysis of the system-size dependence of these ratios, and confirm that they are indeed universal for three models - the contact process, the A model, and the pair contact process - belonging to the directed percolation universality class. Our studies also yield a refined estimate for the critical point of the pair contact process.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1997

Self-organized criticality as an absorbing-state phase transition

We explore the connection between self-organized criticality and phase transitions in models with absorbing states. Sandpile models are found to exhibit criticality only when a pair of relevant parameters - dissipation epsilon and driving field h - are set to their critical values. The critical values of epsilon and h are both equal to zero. The first is due to the absence of saturation (no bound on energy) in the sandpile model, while the second result is common to other absorbing-state transitions. The original definition of the sandpile model places it at the point (epsilon=0, h=0+): it is critical by definition. We argue power-law avalanche distributions are a general feature of models with infinitely many absorbing configurations, when they are subject to slow driving at the critical point. Our assertions are supported by simulations of the sandpile at epsilon=h=0 and fixed energy density (no drive, periodic boundaries), and of the slowly-driven pair contact process. We formulate a field theory for the sandpile model, in which the order parameter is coupled to a conserved energy density, which plays the role of an effective creation rate.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1997

An elastic lattice in a random potential

Using Monte Carlo simulations, we study the properties of an elastic triangular lattice subject to a random background potential. As the cooling rate is reduced, we observe a rather sudden crossover between two different glass phases, one with exponential decay of correlations, the other with power-law decay. Contrary to predictions derived from continuum models, no evidence of a crossover in the mean-square displacement, B(r), from quadratic growth at small r, to logarithmic growth at large r is found.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1997

Violation of Scaling in the Contact Process with Quenched Disorder

We study the two-dimensional contact process (CP) with quenched disorder (DCP), and determine the static critical exponents beta and nu_perp. The dynamic behavior is incompatible with scaling, as applied to models (such as the pure CP) that have a continuous phase transition to an absorbing state. We find that the survival probability (starting with all sites occupied), for a finite-size system at critical, decays according to a power law, as does the off-critical density autocorrelation function. Thus the critical exponent nu_parallle, which governs the relaxation time, is undefined, since the characteristic relaxation time is itself undefined. The logarithmic time-dependence found in recent simulations of the critical DCP [Moreira and Dickman, Phys. Rev. E54, R3090 (1996)] is further evidence of violation of scaling. A simple argument based on percolation cluster statistics yields a similar logarithmic evolution.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1997

Entropic Forces in Binary Hard Sphere Mixtures: Theory and Simulation

We perform extensive Monte Carlo simulations of binary hard-sphere mixtures (with diameter ratios of 5 and 10), to determine the entropic force between (1) a macrosphere and a hard wall, and (2) a pair of macrospheres. The microsphere background fluid (at volume fractions ranging from 0.1 to 0.34) induces an entropic force on the macrosphere(s); the latter component is at infinite dilution. We find good overall agreement, in both cases, with the predictions of an HNC-based theory for the entropic force. Our results also argue for the validity of the Derjaguin approximation relating the force between convex bodies to that between planar surfaces. The earlier Asakura-Oosawa theory, based on a simple geometric argument, is only accurate in the low-density limit.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1996

Critical Dynamics of the Contact Process with Quenched Disorder

We study critical spreading dynamics in the two-dimensional contact process (CP) with quenched disorder in the form of random dilution. In the pure model, spreading from a single particle at the critical point $λ_c$ is characterized by the critical exponents of directed percolation: in $2+1$ dimensions, $δ= 0.46$, $η= 0.214$, and $z = 1.13$. Disorder causes a dramatic change in the critical exponents, to $δ\simeq 0.60$, $η\simeq -0.42$, and $z \simeq 0.24$. These exponents govern spreading following a long crossover period. The usual hyperscaling relation, $4 δ+ 2 η= d z$, is violated. Our results support the conjecture by Bramson, Durrett, and Schonmann [Ann. Prob. {\bf 19}, 960 (1991)], that in two or more dimensions the disordered CP has only a single phase transition.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

Nonuniversal Critical Spreading in Two Dimensions

Continuous phase transitions are studied in a two dimensional nonequilibrium model with an infinite number of absorbing configurations. Spreading from a localized source is characterized by nonuniversal critical exponents, which vary continuously with the density phi in the surrounding region. The exponent delta changes by more than an order of magnitude, and eta changes sign. The location of the critical point also depends on phi, which has important implications for scaling. As expected on the basis of universality, the static critical behavior belongs to the directed percolation class.

cond-mat↗