This is an earlier experiment. Read the amendments below before treating its findings as current.
The question
Traffic theory says that past some crowding, adding craft stops moving more traffic and a jam forms. Where does that happen here?
What was tested
Two head-on crossing streams ran at 12.5 to 300 craft per km². We measured average speed, traffic moved (crowding times speed), and closest approach as a fraction of the required spacing.
What was found then
There was no jam up to 300 per km². Speed fell from 6.2 to 3.1 m/s, but the traffic moved kept rising. A few close calls appeared at 100 per km² (5) and at 300 (6), none at 200. At those two densities the closest approach was 0.98 and 0.99 of the required spacing (below 1 means a safety bubble was entered), so bubbles were only just entered.
What changed
Nothing.
Corrections retained in the record
Earlier wording: Marginal breaches (min separation ratio ≈ 0.98) appear from 100/km² up.
Record correction: Breaches at 100/km² (5) and 300/km² (6), but none at 200/km² (min separation 1.16).
results/results.json e4_fundamental
Numbers and source references
- 12.5 to 300 craft per km²
- density rangeresults/results.json e4_fundamental
- 300 per km²
- highest density triedresults/results.json e4_fundamental
- 6.2
- average speed at the lowest density, m/s (6.17)results/results.json e4_fundamental
- 3.1 m/s
- average speed at 300/km² (3.06)results/results.json e4_fundamental
- 100 per km² (5)
- breaches at 100/km²results/results.json e4_fundamental
- 300 (6)
- breaches at 300/km²results/results.json e4_fundamental
- 200
- density with no breaches (min sep 1.16)results/results.json e4_fundamental
- 0.98 and 0.99
- closest approach as a share of the standard at 100 and 300 per km² (0.984, 0.994)results/results.json e4_fundamental