Precise calculation of the threshold of various directed percolation models on a square lattice

Using Monte Carlo simulations on different system sizes we determine with high precision the critical thresholds of two families of directed percolation models on a square lattice. The thresholds decrease exponentially with the degree of connectivity. We conjecture that $p_{c}$ decays exactly as the inverse of the coodination number.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures and 1 tabl

Active Width at a Slanted Active Boundary in Directed Percolation

The width W of the active region around an active moving wall in a directed percolation process diverges at the percolation threshold p_c as W \simeq A \epsilon^{-\nu_\parallel} \ln(\epsilon_0/\epsilon), with \epsilon=p_c-p, \epsilon_0 a constant, and \nu_\parallel=1.734 the critical exponent of the characteristic time needed to reach the stationary state \xi_\parallel \sim \epsilon^{-\nu_\parallel}. The logarithmic factor arises from screening of statistically independent needle shaped sub clusters in the active region. Numerical data confirm this scaling behaviour.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Branching Transition of a Directed Polymer in Random Medium

A directed polymer is allowed to branch, with configurations determined by global energy optimization and disorder. A finite size scaling analysis in 2D shows that, if disorder makes branching more and more favorable, a critical transition occurs from the linear scaling regime first studied by Huse and Henley [Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 2708 (1985)] to a fully branched, compact one. At criticality clear evidence is obtained that the polymer branches at all scales with dimension ${\bar d}_c$ and roughness exponent $\zeta_c$ satisfying $({\bar d}_c-1)/\zeta_c = 0.13\pm 0.01$, and energy fluctuation exponent $\omega_c=0.26 \pm0.02$, in terms of longitudinal distanceComment: REVTEX, 4 pages, 3 encapsulated eps figure

Fractal Dimensions of Confined Clusters in Two-Dimensional Directed Percolation

The fractal structure of directed percolation clusters, grown at the percolation threshold inside parabolic-like systems, is studied in two dimensions via Monte Carlo simulations. With a free surface at y=\pm Cx^k and a dynamical exponent z, the surface shape is a relevant perturbation when k<1/z and the fractal dimensions of the anisotropic clusters vary continuously with k. Analytic expressions for these variations are obtained using a blob picture approach.Comment: 6 pages, Plain TeX file, epsf, 3 postscript-figure

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 $\lambda_c$ is characterized by the critical exponents of directed percolation: in $2+1$ dimensions, $\delta = 0.46$, $\eta = 0.214$, and $z = 1.13$. Disorder causes a dramatic change in the critical exponents, to $\delta \simeq 0.60$, $\eta \simeq -0.42$, and $z \simeq 0.24$. These exponents govern spreading following a long crossover period. The usual hyperscaling relation, $4 \delta + 2 \eta = d z$, 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.Comment: 11 pages, REVTeX, four figures available on reques

Precise Critical Exponents for the Basic Contact Process

We calculated some of the critical exponents of the directed percolation universality class through exact numerical diagonalisations of the master operator of the one-dimensional basic contact process. Perusal of the power method together with finite-size scaling allowed us to achieve a high degree of accuracy in our estimates with relatively little computational effort. A simple reasoning leading to the appropriate choice of the microscopic time scale for time-dependent simulations of Markov chains within the so called quantum chain formulation is discussed. Our approach is applicable to any stochastic process with a finite number of absorbing states.Comment: LaTeX 2.09, 9 pages, 1 figur

Low-density series expansions for directed percolation IV. Temporal disorder

We introduce a model for temporally disordered directed percolation in which the probability of spreading from a vertex $(t,x)$, where $t$ is the time and $x$ is the spatial coordinate, is independent of $x$ but depends on $t$. Using a very efficient algorithm we calculate low-density series for bond percolation on the directed square lattice. Analysis of the series yields estimates for the critical point $p_c$ and various critical exponents which are consistent with a continuous change of the critical parameters as the strength of the disorder is increased.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

A study of logarithmic corrections and universal amplitude ratios in the two-dimensional 4-state Potts model

Monte Carlo (MC) and series expansion (SE) data for the energy, specific heat, magnetization and susceptibility of the two-dimensional 4-state Potts model in the vicinity of the critical point are analysed. The role of logarithmic corrections is discussed and an approach is proposed in order to account numerically for these corrections in the determination of critical amplitudes. Accurate estimates of universal amplitude ratios $A_+/A_-$, $\Gamma_+/\Gamma_-$, $\Gamma_T/\Gamma_-$ and $R_C^\pm$ are given, which arouse new questions with respect to previous works