Dynamics of aeolian sand ripples

We analyze theoretically the dynamics of aeolian sand ripples. In order to put the study in the context we first review existing models. We argue on the local character of sand ripple formation. Using a hydrodynamical model we derive a nonlinear equation for the sand profile. We show how the hydrodynamical model may be modified to recover the missing terms that are dictated by symmetries. The symmetry and conservation arguments are powerful in that the form of the equation is model-independent. We then present an extensive numerical and analytical analysis of the generic sand ripple equation. We find that at the initial stage the wavelength of the ripple is that corresponding to the linearly most dangerous mode. At later stages the profile undergoes a coarsening process leading to a significant increase of the wavelength. We find that including the next higher order nonlinear term in the equation, leads naturally to a saturation of the local slope. We analyze both analytically and numerically the coarsening stage, in terms of a dynamical exponent for the mean wavelength increase. We discuss some future lines of investigations.Comment: 22 pages and 10 postscript figure

Scaling Relations and Exponents in the Growth of Rough Interfaces Through Random Media

The growth of a rough interface through a random media is modelled by a continuous stochastic equation with a quenched noise. By use of the Novikov theorem we can transform the dependence of the noise on the interface height into an effective temporal correlation for different regimes of the evolution of the interface. The exponents characterizing the roughness of the interface can thus be computed by simple scaling arguments showing a good agreement with recent experiments and numerical simulations.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, twocolumns, two figures (upon request). To appear in Europhysics Letter

The Non-local Kardar-Parisi-Zhang Equation With Spatially Correlated Noise

The effects of spatially correlated noise on a phenomenological equation equivalent to a non-local version of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation are studied via the dynamic renormalization group (DRG) techniques. The correlated noise coupled with the long ranged nature of interactions prove the existence of different phases in different regimes, giving rise to a range of roughness exponents defined by their corresponding critical dimensions. Finally self-consistent mode analysis is employed to compare the non-KPZ exponents obtained as a result of the long range -long range interactions with the DRG results.Comment: Plain Latex, 10 pages, 2 figures in one ps fil

Novel type of phase transition in a system of self-driven particles

A simple model with a novel type of dynamics is introduced in order to investigate the emergence of self-ordered motion in systems of particles with biologically motivated interaction. In our model particles are driven with a constant absolute velocity and at each time step assume the average direction of motion of the particles in their neighborhood with some random perturbation ($\eta$) added. We present numerical evidence that this model results in a kinetic phase transition from no transport (zero average velocity, $| {\bf v}_a | =0$) to finite net transport through spontaneous symmetry breaking of the rotational symmetry. The transition is continuous since $| {\bf v}_a |$ is found to scale as $(\eta_c-\eta)^\beta$ with $\beta\simeq 0.45$

Single-vehicle data of highway traffic - a statistical analysis

In the present paper single-vehicle data of highway traffic are analyzed in great detail. By using the single-vehicle data directly empirical time-headway distributions and speed-distance relations can be established. Both quantities yield relevant information about the microscopic states. Several fundamental diagrams are also presented, which are based on time-averaged quantities and compared with earlier empirical investigations. In the remaining part time-series analyses of the averaged as well as the single-vehicle data are carried out. The results will be used in order to propose objective criteria for an identification of the different traffic states, e.g. synchronized traffic.Comment: 12 pages, 19 figures, RevTe

Asymptotic function for multi-growth surfaces using power-law noise

Numerical simulations are used to investigate the multiaffine exponent $\alpha_q$ and multi-growth exponent $\beta_q$ of ballistic deposition growth for noise obeying a power-law distribution. The simulated values of $\beta_q$ are compared with the asymptotic function $\beta_q = \frac{1}{q}$ that is approximated from the power-law behavior of the distribution of height differences over time. They are in good agreement for large $q$. The simulated $\alpha_q$ is found in the range $\frac{1}{q} \leq \alpha_q \leq \frac{2}{q+1}$. This implies that large rare events tend to break the KPZ universality scaling-law at higher order $q$.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

An Exactly Solvable Two-Way Traffic Model With Ordered Sequential Update

Within the formalism of matrix product ansatz, we study a two-species asymmetric exclusion process with backward and forward site-ordered sequential update. This model, which was originally introduced with the random sequential update, describes a two-way traffic flow with a dynamic impurity and shows a phase transition between the free flow and traffic jam. We investigate the characteristics of this jamming and examine similarities and differences between our results and those with random sequential update.Comment: 25 pages, Revtex, 7 ps file

Nonlinear Measures for Characterizing Rough Surface Morphologies

We develop a new approach to characterizing the morphology of rough surfaces based on the analysis of the scaling properties of contour loops, i.e. loops of constant height. Given a height profile of the surface we perform independent measurements of the fractal dimension of contour loops, and the exponent that characterizes their size distribution. Scaling formulas are derived and used to relate these two geometrical exponents to the roughness exponent of a self-affine surface, thus providing independent measurements of this important quantity. Furthermore, we define the scale dependent curvature and demonstrate that by measuring its third moment departures of the height fluctuations from Gaussian behavior can be ascertained. These nonlinear measures are used to characterize the morphology of computer generated Gaussian rough surfaces, surfaces obtained in numerical simulations of a simple growth model, and surfaces observed by scanning-tunneling-microscopes. For experimentally realized surfaces the self-affine scaling is cut off by a correlation length, and we generalize our theory of contour loops to take this into account.Comment: 39 pages and 18 figures included; comments to [email protected]