Dynamic phase transition observed in the Internet traffic flow

We observe temporal fluctuations of information traffic going through a lin k of the Internet. The fluctuations are characterized by finite correlation times implying that they can be regarded as statistically quasi-stationary . Usual methods in statistical physics become powerful and we confirm a dyn amical phase transition occurring between jam and sparse phases with critic al behaviors at a non-trivial critical mean density. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.