66 research outputs found
Out-of-equilibrium phase re-entrance(s) in long-range interacting systems
No full textSystems with long-range interactions display a short-time relaxation toward quasistationary states (QSSs) whose lifetime increases with system size. The application of Lynden-Bell’s theory of “violent relaxation” to the Hamiltonian Mean Field model leads to the prediction of out-of-equilibrium first- and second-order phase transitions between homogeneous (zero magnetization) and inhomogeneous (nonzero magnetization) QSSs, as well as an interesting phenomenon of phase re-entrances. We compare these theoretical predictions with direct N-body numerical simulations. We confirm the existence of phase re-entrance in the typical parameter range predicted from Lynden-Bell’s theory, but also show that the picture is more complicated than initially thought. In particular, we exhibit the existence of secondary re-entrant phases: we find unmagnetized states in the theoretically magnetized region as well as persisting magnetized states in the theoretically unmagnetized region. We also report the existence of a region with negative specific heats for QSSs both in the numerical and analytical caloric curves
Dynamical and thermodynamical stability of two-dimensional flows: variational principles and relaxation equations
No full textWe review and connect different variational principles that have been proposed to settle the dynamical and thermodynamical stability of two-dimensional incompressible and inviscid flows governed by the 2D Euler equation. These variational principles involve functionals of a very wide class that go beyond the usual Boltzmann functional. We provide relaxation equations that can be used as numerical algorithms to solve these optimization problems. These relaxation equations have the form of nonlinear mean field Fokker-Planck equations associated with generalized “entropic”
functionals [P.H. Chavanis, Eur. Phys. J. B 62, 179 (2008)]
Negative Specific Heat in the Canonical Statistical Ensemble
No full textAccording to thermodynamics, the specific heat of Boltzmannian short-range interacting systems is a positive quantity. Less intuitive properties are instead displayed by systems characterized by long-range interactions. In that case, the sign of specific heat depends on the considered statistical ensemble: Negative specific heat can be found in isolated systems, which are studied in the framework of the microcanonical ensemble; on the other hand, it is generally recognized that a positive specific heat should always be measured in systems in contact with a thermal bath, for which the canonical ensemble is the appropriate one. We demonstrate that the latter assumption is not generally true: One can, in principle, measure negative specific heat also in the canonical ensemble if the system under scrutiny is non-Boltzmannian and/or out-of-equilibrium
On the lifetime of metastable states in self-gravitating systems
No full textWe discuss the physical basis of the statistical
mechanics of self-gravitating systems. We show the correspondance
between statistical mechanics methods based on the evaluation of
the density of states and partition function and thermodynamical
methods based on the optimization of a thermodynamical potential
(entropy or free energy). We address the question of the
thermodynamic limit of self-gravitating systems, the justification
of the mean-field approximation, the validity of the saddle point
approximation near the transition point, the lifetime of metastable
states and the fluctuations in isothermal spheres. In particular,
we emphasize the tremendously long lifetime of metastable states of
self-gravitating systems which increases exponentially with the
number of particles N except in the vicinity of the critical
point. More specifically, using an adaptation of the Kramers
formula justified by a kinetic theory, we show that the lifetime of
a metastable state scales as in microcanonical
ensemble and in canonical ensemble, where and are the barriers of entropy and free energy
per particle respectively. The physical
caloric curve must take these metastable states (local entropy
maxima) into account. As a result, it becomes multi-valued and
leads to microcanonical phase transitions and “dinosaur's necks”
(Chavanis [CITE], [arXiv:astroph/0205426
Classification of robust isolated vortices in two-dimensional hydrodynamics
No full textWe determine solutions of the Euler equation
representing isolated vortices (monopoles,
dipoles) in an infinite domain, for arbitrary values of
energy, circulation, angular momentum and impulse. A linear
relationship between vorticity and stream function is
assumed inside the vortex (while the flow is irrotational
outside). The emergence of
these solutions in a turbulent flow is justified by the
statistical mechanics of continuous
vorticity fields. The additional restriction of mixing to a
‘maximum-entropy bubble’,
due to kinetic constraints, is assumed. The linear
relationship between vorticity and
stream function is obtained from the statistical theory in
the limit of strong mixing
(when constraints are weak). In this limit, maximizing
entropy becomes equivalent to
a kind of enstrophy minimization. New stability criteria
are investigated and imply
in particular that, in most cases, the vorticity must be
continuous (or slightly discontinuous) at the vortex boundary.
Then, the vortex radius is automatically determined
by the integral constraints and we can obtain a classification
of isolated vortices
such as monopoles and dipoles (rotating or translating) in
terms of a single control
parameter. This article generalizes the classification
obtained in a bounded domain
by Chavanis & Sommeria (1996).</jats:p
Statistical mechanics of Fofonoff flows in an oceanic basin
No full textWe study the minimization of potential enstrophy at fixed circulation and energy in an oceanic basin with arbitrary topography. For illustration, we consider a rectangular basin and a linear topography h=by which represents either a real bottom topography or the β-effect appropriate to oceanic situations. Our minimum enstrophy principle is motivated by different arguments of statistical mechanics reviewed in the article. It leads to steady states of the quasigeostrophic (QG) equations characterized by a linear relationship between potential vorticity q and stream function ψ. For low values of the energy, we recover Fofonoff flows [J. Mar. Res. 13, 254 (1954)] that display a strong westward jet. For large values of the energy, we obtain geometry induced phase transitions between monopoles and dipoles similar to those found by Chavanis and Sommeria [J. Fluid Mech. 314, 267 (1996)] in the absence of topography. In the presence of topography, we recover and confirm the results obtained by Venaille and Bouchet [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 104501 (2009)] using a different formalism. In addition, we introduce relaxation equations towards minimum potential enstrophy states and perform numerical simulations to illustrate the phase transitions in a rectangular oceanic basin with linear topography (or β-effect). Copyright EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011
Relaxation equations for two-dimensional turbulent flows with a prior vorticity distribution
No full textUsing a Maximum Entropy Production Principle (MEPP), we derive a new type of relaxation equations for two-dimensional turbulent flows in the case where a prior vorticity distribution is prescribed instead of the Casimir constraints [R. Ellis, K. Haven, B. Turkington, Nonlinearity 15, 239 (2002)]. The particular case of a Gaussian prior is specifically treated in connection to minimum enstrophy states and Fofonoff flows. These relaxation equations are compared with other relaxation equations proposed by Robert and Sommeria [Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 2776 (1992)] and Chavanis [Physica D 237, 1998 (2008)]. They can serve as numerical algorithms to compute maximum entropy states and minimum enstrophy states with appropriate constraints. We perform numerical simulations of these relaxation equations in order to illustrate geometry induced phase transitions in geophysical flows. Copyright EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010
Self-gravitating Brownian particles in two dimensions: the case of N=2 particles
No full textSUMMARY We study the motion of N=2 overdamped Brownian particles in gravitational
interaction in a space of dimension d=2. This is equivalent to the simplified
motion of two biological entities interacting via chemotaxis when time delay
and degradation of the chemical are ignored. This problem also bears some
similarities with the stochastic motion of two point vortices in viscous
hydrodynamics [Agullo & Verga, Phys. Rev. E, 63, 056304 (2001)]. We
analytically obtain the density probability of finding the particles at a
distance r from each other at time t. We also determine the probability that
the particles have coalesced and formed a Dirac peak at time t (i.e. the
probability that the reduced particle has reached r=0 at time t). Finally, we
investigate the variance of the distribution and discuss the proper form
of the virial theorem for this system. The reduced particle has a normal
diffusion behaviour for small times with a gravity-modified diffusion
coefficient =r_0^2+(4k_B/\xi\mu)(T-T_*)t, where k_BT_{*}=Gm_1m_2/2 is a
critical temperature, and an anomalous diffusion for large times
~t^(1-T_*/T). As a by-product, our solution also describes the growth of
the Dirac peak (condensate) that forms in the post-collapse regime of the
Smoluchowski-Poisson system (or Keller-Segel model) for T<T_c=GMm/(4k_B). We
find that the saturation of the mass of the condensate to the total mass is
algebraic in an infinite domain and exponential in a bounded domain
Growth of perturbations in an expanding universe with Bose-Einstein condensate dark matter
No full textWe study the growth of perturbations in an expanding Newtonian universe with Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) dark matter. We first ignore special relativistic effects and derive a differential equation that governs the evolution of the density contrast in the linear regime. This equation, which takes quantum pressure and self-interaction into account, can be solved analytically in several cases. We argue that an attractive self-interaction can enhance the Jeans instability and fasten the formation of structures. Then, we take pressure effects (coming from special relativity) into account in the evolution of the cosmic fluid and add the contribution of radiation, baryons, and dark energy (cosmological constant). For BEC dark matter with repulsive self-interaction (positive pressure) the scale factor increases more rapidly than in the standard ΛCDM model where dark matter is pressureless, while it increases less rapidly for BEC dark matter with attractive self-interaction (negative pressure). We study the linear development of the perturbations in these two cases and show that the perturbations grow faster in BEC dark matter than in pressureless dark matter. Finally, we consider a “dark fluid” with a generalized equation of state p = (αρ + kρ2)c2 having a component p = kρ2c2 similar to BEC dark matter and a component p = αρc2 mimicking the effect of the cosmological constant (dark energy). We find optimal parameters that give good agreement with the standard ΛCDM model that assumes a finite cosmological constant
Statistical mechanics of two-dimensional Euler flows and minimum enstrophy states
No full textA simplified thermodynamic approach of the incompressible 2D Euler equation is considered based on the conservation of energy, circulation and microscopic enstrophy. Statistical equilibrium states are obtained by maximizing the Miller-Robert-Sommeria (MRS) entropy under these sole constraints. We assume that these constraints are selected by properties of forcing and dissipation. We find that the vorticity fluctuations are Gaussian while the mean flow is characterized by a linear relationship. Furthermore, we prove that the maximization of entropy at fixed energy, circulation and microscopic enstrophy is equivalent to the minimization of macroscopic enstrophy at fixed energy and circulation. This provides a justification of the minimum enstrophy principle from statistical mechanics when only the microscopic enstrophy is conserved among the infinite class of Casimir constraints. Relaxation equations towards the statistical equilibrium state are derived. These equations can serve as numerical algorithms to determine maximum entropy or minimum enstrophy states. We use these relaxation equations to study geometry induced phase transitions in rectangular domains. In particular, we illustrate with the relaxation equations the transition between monopoles and dipoles predicted by Chavanis and Sommeria [J. Fluid Mech. 314, 267 (1996)]. We take into account stable as well as metastable states and show that metastable states are robust and have negative specific heats. This is the first evidence of negative specific heats in that context. We also argue that saddle points of entropy can be long-lived and play a role in the dynamics because the system may not spontaneously generate the perturbations that destabilize them. Copyright EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010
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