On the Reconstruction of Random Media using Monte Carlo Methods

TL;DR

This paper applies a simulated annealing algorithm to reconstruct 2D porous media from correlation functions, revealing that simplified evaluation methods can introduce artificial anisotropy in the reconstructed micro-structures.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of directional correlation function evaluation on the accuracy and isotropy of reconstructed media.

Findings

Simplified correlation evaluation causes artificial anisotropy.

Full evaluation yields more accurate, isotropic micro-structures.

Reconstruction method's choice significantly affects micro-structure fidelity.

Abstract

A simulated annealing algorithm is applied to the reconstruction of two-dimensional porous media with prescribed correlation functions. The experimental correlation function of an isotropic sample of Fontainebleau sandstone and a synthetic correlation function with damped oscillations are used in the reconstructions. To reduce the numerical effort we follow a proposal suggesting to evaluate the correlation functions only along certain directions. The results show, that this simplification yields significantly different micro-structures as compared to a full evaluation of the correlation function. In particular we find that the simplified reconstruction method introduces an artificial anisotropy that is originally not present.