Document: SCL: An Artificial Chemistry in Swarm
3.3.3 Bonding
3.3 Reactions
3.3.1 Production

3.3.2 Disintegration

Disintegration is implemented by a primary L particle, and happens in two quite separate stages. Each L particle has an associated boolean state variable called disintegrating. When an L particle is initially created (via production) this is set to NO. The first phase of disintegration is for this state variable to change to YES, and happens as follows:

1. A bernoulli random variable is evaluated with probability parameter disintegrationProbability (the rate parameter for the reaction). If this evaluates as NO, the reaction terminates.

2. The disintegrating state variable is set to YES. This completes the first stage of the reaction.

Once an L particle goes into the disintegrating state it stays in that state until the disintegration can be completed. In general it cannot be completed immediately because it relies on finding one or more adjacent holes to accommodate the disintegration products.

An L particle in the disintegrating state attempts to complete the reaction as follows (this attempt occurs for the first time on the same timestep as the L particle goes into the disintegrating state; it will be repeated, as necessary, on each following timestep, until the reaction is completed):

1. If the L particle has an absorbed S particle (i.e. it is strictly an L ), then an attempt is made to forcibly emit this S. The details of this process are given below.

2. If the L particle still has an absorbed S particle (i.e. the attempted emission failed) then the reaction is terminated.

3. A random neighbor is chosen from the default neighborhood (neighborParticle). If this is not a H, the reaction is terminated.

4. The H is replaced with an S particle.

5. Any bonds associated with the primary L particle are forced to decay (see below).

6. The primary L particle is replaced with an S particle. This completes the disintegration reaction.

Note finally that once an L particle has gone into the disintegrating state it will no longer undergo the absorption reaction (since this could further delay the completion of the disintegration); however, it can still participate in bonding.

3.3.3 Bonding
3.3 Reactions
3.3.1 Production
Document: SCL: An Artificial Chemistry in Swarm

Copyright © 1997 All Rights Reserved.
Timestamp: Tue Dec 31 19:40:38 GMT 1996