Density Fluctuations and Phase Transition in the Nagel-Schreckenberg Traffic Flow Model

Abstract

We consider the transition of the Nagel-Schreckenberg traffic flow model from the free flow regime to the jammed regime. We examine the inhomogeneous character of the system by introducing a new method of analysis which is based on the local density distribution. We investigated the characteristic fluctuations in the steady state and present the phase diagram of the system.