A phase transition in a model for the spread of an infection (Q2505481)

The following model is considered: There are particles of type \(A\) and type \(B\), interpreted as healthy and infected, respectively. All particles perform independent, continuous time, simple random walks on \(Z^d\) with the same jump rate \(D\). The only interaction between the particles is that at the moment when a \(B\)-particle jumps to a site which contains an \(A\)-particle, or vice versa, the \(A\)-particle turns into a \(B\)-particle. All \(B\)-particles recuperate (that is, turn back into \(A\)-particles) independently of each other at a rate \(\lambda\). It is assumed that the start of the system is with \(N_A(x,0-)\) \(A\)-particles at \(x\), where \(N_A(x, 0-), x\in Z^d,\) are i.i.d., with mean \(\mu_A\) Poisson random variables. In the starting time there is one additional \(B\)-particle at the origin. The infection is called surviving if \(P\{\)there are some \(B\)-particles at all times\(\} > 0,\) the infection is said to die out if it does not survive. The main result of the paper is: There exists a critical recuperation rate \(0<\lambda_c <\infty\) such that the \(B\)-particles (the infection) survive if \(\lambda<\lambda_c\) and dies out if \(\lambda>\lambda_c.\)