Classification of universality classes for quasideterministic sandpile models

The critical behavior of the two-state rotational sandpile model proposed by Santra et al. [Phys. Rev. E 75, 041122 (2007)PLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.75.041122] and the locally deterministic and globally stochastic three-state sandpile model are investigated via Monte Carlo simulations. Through these simulations, we are able to estimate critical exponents that characterize the avalanche properties, i.e., the probability distributions of the avalanche size, area, lifetime, and gyration radius, and the expectation values of the avalanche size and area against time and of the size against area. The results are compared with those of the known universality classes. The two models are found to yield consistent results within the range of statistical error, and appear to be consistent with the stochastic two-state Manna sandpile model; therefore, both models appear to belong to the Manna universality class. Our results contradict the earlier conclusion of Santra et al., which we attribute to the slow convergence of the probability distribution to the asymptotic power-law behavior, particularly for the size and lifetime of avalanches.