PROGRESS IN DLA RESEARCH

The diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) model has become an important paradigm for non-equilibrium pattern formation and provides a basis for understanding a broad range of natural processes. Progress in the simulation and quantitative characterization of DLA clusters is described. Despite advances in this direction, and extensive theoretical studies, the DLA process and the scaling structure of DLA clusters are still not well understood. Clusters generated by the DLA model have a fractal geometry but it is not certain whether the asymptotic structure is self-similar or must be described by a more complex scaling model. Lattice anisotropy has a strong influence on the asymptotic shape of DLA clusters and the asymptotic stucture of DLA clusters with anisotropy (and noise reduction) is relatively well understood.