TY  - JOUR
SN  - 0378-4371
Y1  - 1998///
N2  - A mean field theory is discussed for a sandpile model, a cellular automaton prototype of systems showing self-organized criticality. The previous formulation of the mean field does not take into account the dissipation effects that take place on boundaries. This gives rise to some inconsistencies that are eliminated by carefully considering the boundaries effects, as it is shown in this paper. We present here a revised version of the MF equations. The main result is that criticality arises in the thermodynamic limit for sandpile systems, confirming numerical observations on the behavior of the order parameter.
The mean field approach is also generalized by applying it to the more general case of sandpiles in thermal equilibrium where a temperature-like parameter T is introduced. In this case we show that criticality is not destroyed at T> 0.
JF  - Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
EP  - 307
VL  - 252
PB  - Elsevier
A1  - Caldarelli, Guido
SP  - 295
ID  - eprints1174
TI  - Mean field theory for ordinary and hot sandpiles
AV  - none
KW  - PACS: 02.50.-r; 87.10.+e; 05.40.+j
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4371(97)00458-5
IS  - 3-4
ER  -