Comparisons and asymptotics for empty space hazard functions of germ-grain models

Abstract

We study stochastic properties of the empty space for stationary germ-grain models in R^d; in particular, we deal with the inner radius of the empty space with respect to a general structuring element which is allowed to be lower dimensional. We consider Poisson cluster and mixed Poisson germ-grain models, and show in several situations that more variability results in stochastically greater empty space in terms of the empty space hazard function. Furthermore, we study the asymptotic behaviour of the empty space hazard functions at 0 and at ∞.