Multifractal Scaling in the Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld Sandpile and Edge Events

Claudio Tebaldi; Mario De Menech; Attilio L. Stella

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.3952

Multifractal Scaling in the Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld Sandpile and Edge Events

Claudio Tebaldi, Mario De Menech, and Attilio L. Stella

Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 3952 – Published 8 November 1999

Abstract

A widely applicable analysis of numerical data shows that, while the distribution of avalanche areas obeys finite size scaling, that of toppling numbers is universally characterized by a full, nonlinear multifractal spectrum. Boundary effects determine an unusual dependence on system size of the moment scaling exponents of the conditional toppling distribution at a given area. This distribution is also multifractal in the bulk regime. The resulting picture brings to light unsuspected physics of this long-studied prototype model.

Received 8 March 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.3952

Authors & Affiliations

Claudio Tebaldi¹, Mario De Menech¹, and Attilio L. Stella^1,2

¹INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Padova, I-35131 Padova, Italy
²The Abdus Salam ICTP, P.O. Box 563, I-34100 Trieste, Italy and Sezione INFN, Università di Padova, I-35131 Padova, Italy