Lattice Gases and Cellular Automata

Original · EN

We review the class of cellular automata known as lattice gases, and their applications to problems in physics and materials science. The presentation is self-contained, and assumes very little prior knowledge of the subject. Hydrodynamic lattice gases are emphasized, and non-lattice-gas cellular automata -- even those with physical applications -- are not treated at all. We begin with a review of lattice gases as the term is understood in equilibrium statistical physics. We then discuss the various methods that have been proposed to simulate hydrodynamics with a lattice gas, leading up to the 1986 discovery of a lattice gas for the isotropic Navier-Stokes equations. Finally, we discuss variants of lattice-gas models that have been used for the simulation of complex fluids.