On universality of conductivity of planar random self-dual systems

TL;DR

This paper investigates the effective conductivity of planar self-dual systems, proposing new approximate formulas, models, and discussing the nonuniversality of conductivity in such inhomogeneous systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel duality-based approach and two new models for calculating effective conductivity in self-dual systems, highlighting nonuniversality.

Findings

New approximate expressions for sigma_e valid at arbitrary phase concentrations.

Construction of two models with different inhomogeneity structures matching these expressions.

Discussion of nonuniversality of effective conductivity in binary self-dual systems.

Abstract

General properties of the effective conductivity sigma_e of planar isotropic randomly inhomogeneous two-phase self-dual systems are investigated. A new approach for finding out sigma_e of random systems based on a duality, a series expansion in the inhomogeneous parameter z and additional assumptions, is proposed. Two new approximate expressions for sigma_e at arbitrary values of phase concentrations are found. They satisfy all necessary inequalities, symmetries, including a dual one, and reproduce known results in various limiting cases. Two corresponding models with different inhomogeneity structures, whose sigma_e coincide with these expressions, are constructed. First model describes systems with a finite maximal characteristic scale of the inhomogeneities. In this model sigma_e is a solution of the approximate functional equation, generalizing the duality relation. The second model is constructed from squares with random layered structure. The difference of sigma_e for these models means a nonuniversality of the effective conductivity even for binary random self-dual systems. The first explicit expression for sigma_e can be used also for approximate description of various inhomogeneous systems with compact inclusions of the second phase. The percolation problem of these models is briefly discussed.