Boundary-layers for a Neumann problem at higher critical exponents

We consider the Neumann problem $$(P)\qquad - \Delta v + v= v^{q-1} \ \text{in }\ \mathcal{D}, \ v > 0 \ \text{in } \ \mathcal{D},\ \partial_\nu v = 0 \ \text{on } \partial\mathcal{D} ,$$ where $\mathcal{D}$ is an open bounded domain in $\mathbb{R}^N,$ $\nu$ is the unit inner normal at the boundary and $q>2.$ For any integer, $1\le h\le N-3,$ we show that, in some suitable domains $\mathcal D,$ problem $(P)$ has a solution which blows-up along a $h-$dimensional minimal submanifold of the boundary $\partial\mathcal D$ as $q$ approaches from either below or above the higher critical Sobolev exponent ${2(N-h)\over N-h-2}.$Comment: 13 page

A quasi-random spanning tree model for the early river network

We consider a model for the formation of a river network in which erosion process plays a role only at the initial stage. Once a global connectivity is achieved, no further evolution takes place. In spite of this, the network reproduces approximately most of the empirical statistical results of natural river network. It is observed that the resulting network is a spanning tree graph and therefore this process could be looked upon as a new algorithm for the generation of spanning tree graphs in which different configurations occur quasi-randomly. A new loop-less percolation model is also defined at an intermediate stage of evolution of the river network.Comment: 10 pages, RevTex, 4 postscript figures, accepted in PR

Chain and ladder models with two-body interactions and analytical ground states

We consider a family of spin-1/2 models with few-body, SU(2) invariant Hamiltonians and analytical ground states related to the 1D Haldane-Shastry wavefunction. The spins are placed on the surface of a cylinder, and the standard 1D Haldane-Shastry model is obtained by placing the spins with equal spacing in a circle around the cylinder. Here, we show that another interesting family of models with two-body exchange interactions is obtained if we instead place the spins along one or two lines parallel to the cylinder axis, giving rise to chain and ladder models, respectively. We can change the scale along the cylinder axis without changing the radius of the cylinder. This gives us a parameter that controls the ratio between the circumference of the cylinder and all other length scales in the system. We use Monte Carlo simulations and analytical investigations to study how this ratio affects the properties of the models. If the ratio is large, we find that the two legs of the ladder decouple into two chains that are in a critical phase with Haldane-Shastry-like properties. If the ratio is small, the wavefunction reduces to a product of singlets. In between, we find that the behavior of the correlations and the Renyi entropy depends on the distance considered. For small distances the behavior is critical, and for long distances the correlations decay exponentially and the entropy shows an area law behavior. The distance up to which there is critical behavior gets larger and larger as the ratio increases.Comment: 19 pages, 16 figure

Order Parameter and Scaling Fields in Self-Organized Criticality

We present a unified dynamical mean-field theory for stochastic self-organized critical models. We use a single site approximation and we include the details of different models by using effective parameters and constraints. We identify the order parameter and the relevant scaling fields in order to describe the critical behavior in terms of usual concepts of non equilibrium lattice models with steady-states. We point out the inconsistencies of previous mean-field approaches, which lead to different predictions. Numerical simulations confirm the validity of our results beyond mean-field theory.Comment: 4 RevTex pages and 2 postscript figure

Sandpile Model with Activity Inhibition

A new sandpile model is studied in which bonds of the system are inhibited for activity after a certain number of transmission of grains. This condition impels an unstable sand column to distribute grains only to those neighbours which have toppled less than m times. In this non-Abelian model grains effectively move faster than the ordinary diffusion (super-diffusion). A novel system size dependent cross-over from Abelian sandpile behaviour to a new critical behaviour is observed for all values of the parameter m.Comment: 11 pages, RevTex, 5 Postscript figure