Information content in the Nagel-Schreckenberg cellular automaton traffic model.

We estimate the set dimension and find bounds for the set entropy of a cellular automaton model for single lane traffic. Set dimension and set entropy, which are measures of the information content per cell, are related to the fractal nature of the automaton [S. Wolfram, Physica D 10, 1 (1989); Theory and Application of Cellular Automata, edited by S. Wolfram (World Scientific, Philadelphia, 1986)] and have practical implications for data compression. For models with maximum speed v(max), the set dimension is approximately log((v(max)+2))2.5, which is close to one bit per cell regardless of the maximum speed. For a typical maximum speed of five cells per time step, the dimension is approximately 0.47.

Smoke production from multiple nuclear explosions in nonurban areas.

The amount of smoke that may be produced by wildland or rural fires as a consequence of a large-scale nuclear exchange is estimated. The calculation is based on a compilation of rural military facilities, identified from a wide variety of unclassified sources, together with data on their geographic positions, surrounding vegetation (fuel), and weather conditions. The ignition area (corrected for fuel moisture) and the amount of fire spread are used to calculate the smoke production. The results show a substantially lower estimated smoke production (from wildland fires) than in earlier "nuclear winter" studies. The amount varies seasonally and at its peak is less by an order of magnitude than the estimated threshold level necessary for a major attenuation of solar radiation.