title: Mechanisms of jamming in the Nagel-Schreckenberg model for traffic flow.
abstract: We study the Nagel-Schreckenberg cellular automata model for traffic flow by both simulations and analytical techniques. To better understand the nature of the jamming transition, we analyze the fraction of stopped cars P(v=0) as a function of the mean car density. We present a simple argument that yields an estimate for the free density where jamming occurs, and show satisfying agreement with simulation results. We demonstrate that the fraction of jammed cars P(v∈{0,1}) can be decomposed into the three factors (jamming rate, jam lifetime, and jam size) for which we derive, from random walk arguments, exponents that control their scaling close to the critical density.
authors.affiliation: Multi-Scale Materials Science for Energy and Environment, 〈MSE〉2, UMI 3466, Joint CNRS-MIT Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Universität Duisburg-Essen, Physik von Transport und Verkehr, 47058 Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Henrik M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Bette
authors.affiliation: Universität Duisburg-Essen, Physik von Transport und Verkehr, 47058 Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Habel
authors.affiliation: Multi-Scale Materials Science for Energy and Environment, 〈MSE〉2, UMI 3466, Joint CNRS-MIT Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modèles Statistiques, CNRS UMR 8626, Bât. 100, Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay cedex, France.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Emig
authors.affiliation: Universität Duisburg-Essen, Physik von Transport und Verkehr, 47058 Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schreckenberg