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arxiv: 1206.3159 · v2 · pith:DN42KZ6Anew · submitted 2012-06-14 · ❄️ cond-mat.stat-mech

Watersheds are Schramm-Loewner Evolution curves

classification ❄️ cond-mat.stat-mech
keywords kappawatershedsconformalcurvesevolutionschramm-loewnerappliedapprox-7
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We show that in the continuum limit watersheds dividing drainage basins are Schramm-Loewner Evolution (SLE) curves, being described by one single parameter $\kappa$. Several numerical evaluations are applied to ascertain this. All calculations are consistent with SLE$_\kappa$, with $\kappa=1.734\pm0.005$, being the only known physical example of an SLE with $\kappa<2$. This lies outside the well-known duality conjecture, bringing up new questions regarding the existence and reversibility of dual models. Furthermore it constitutes a strong indication for conformal invariance in random landscapes and suggests that watersheds likely correspond to a logarithmic Conformal Field Theory (CFT) with central charge $c\approx-7/2$.

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