arXiv · 1901.10567
Intermittent "Turbulence" in a Many-body System
Abstract
In natural settings, intermittent dynamics are ubiquitous and often arise from a coupling between external driving and spatial heterogeneities. A well-known example is the generation of transient, turbulent puffs of fluid through a pipe with rough walls. Here we show how similar dynamics can emerge in a discrete, crystalline system of particles driven by noise. Polydispersity in particle masses leads to localized vibrational modes that effectuate a transition to a gas-like phase. A minimal model for the evolution of the system's mechanical energies exhibits quasi-cyclic oscillations, and a single, dimensionless number captures the essential features of the intermittent dynamics, analogous to the Reynolds number for pipe flow.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Guram Gogia, Wentao Yu, Justin C. Burton. 2019-01-29. Intermittent "Turbulence" in a Many-body System. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevresearch.2.023250
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.