title: Universal attractors of reversible aggregate-reorganization processes.
abstract: We analyze a general class of reversible aggregate-reorganization processes. These processes are shown to exhibit globally attracting equilibrium distributions, which are universal, i.e., identical for large classes of models. Furthermore, the analysis implies that, for studies of equilibrium properties of any such process, computationally expensive reorganization dynamics such as random walks can be replaced by more efficient yet simpler methods. As a particular application, our results explain the recent observation of the formation of similar fractal aggregates from different initial structures by diffusive reorganization [M. Filoche and B. Sapoval, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 5118 (2000)].
authors.affiliation: Zentrum Mathematik, Technical University Münich, 80290 Münich, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grosskinsky
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Timme
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Naundorf
mesh_terms: D002449:Cell Aggregation; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry; D004058:Diffusion; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids