Self-organization in BML Traffic Flow Model: Analytical Approaches

TL;DR

This paper provides analytical insights into the BML traffic flow model, identifying critical densities for jamming and movement, and characterizes the transition between these states with respect to lattice size.

Contribution

It offers exact analytical results for critical densities and transition behavior in the BML traffic model, enhancing understanding of traffic flow phase transitions.

Findings

Critical densities for jamming and movement are identified.

The jamming transition occurs at a size-dependent critical density.

The transition order parameter is characterized.

Abstract

Analytical investigations are made on BML two-dimensional traffic flow model with alternative movement and exclude-volume effect. Several exact results are obtained, including the upper critical density above which there are only jamming configurations asymptotically, and the lower critical density below which there are only moving configurations asymptotically. The jamming transition observed in the ensemble average velocity takes place at another critical density $p_{c}(N)$, which is dependent on the lattice size $N$ and is in the intermediate region between the lower and upper critical densities. It is suggested that $p_{c}(N)$ is proportional to a power of $N$, in good agreement with the numerical simulation. The order parameter of this jamming transition is identified.