Discrete polynuclear growth and determinantal processes

We consider a discrete polynuclear growth (PNG) process and prove a functioal limit theorem for its convergrence to the Airy process. This generalizes previous results by Pr"ahofer and Spohn. The result enables us to express the GOE largest eigenvalue (Tracy-Widom) distribution in terms of the Airy process. We also show some results and give a conjecture about the transversal fluctuations in a point to line last passage percolation problem.