arXiv subjects

A. Politi

Publications and source records attributed to A. Politi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

Desynchronization in diluted neural networks

The dynamical behaviour of a weakly diluted fully-inhibitory network of pulse-coupled spiking neurons is investigated. Upon increasing the coupling strength, a transition from regular to stochastic-like regime is observed. In the weak-coupling phase, a periodic dynamics is rapidly approached, with all neurons firing with the same rate and mutually phase-locked. The strong-coupling phase is characterized by an irregular pattern, even though the maximum Lyapunov exponent is negative. The paradox is solved by drawing an analogy with the phenomenon of ``stable chaos'', i.e. by observing that the stochastic-like behaviour is "limited" to a an exponentially long (with the system size) transient. Remarkably, the transient dynamics turns out to be stationary.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2006

Self-Consistent Mode-Coupling Approach to 1D Heat Transport

In the present Letter we present an analytical and numerical solution of the self-consistent mode-coupling equations for the problem of heat conductivity in one-dimensional systems. Such a solution leads us to propose a different scenario to accomodate the known results obtained so far for this problem. More precisely, we conjecture that the universality class is determined by the leading order of the nonlinear interaction potential. Moreover, our analysis allows us determining the memory kernel, whose expression puts on a more firm basis the previously conjectured connection between anomalous heat conductivity and anomalous diffusion.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2005

From anomalous energy diffusion to Levy walks and heat conductivity in one-dimensional systems

The evolution of infinitesimal, localized perturbations is investigated in a one-dimensional diatomic gas of hard-point particles (HPG) and thereby connected to energy diffusion. As a result, a Levy walk description, which was so far invoked to explain anomalous heat conductivity in the context of non-interacting particles is here shown to extend to the general case of truly many-body systems. Our approach does not only provide a firm evidence that energy diffusion is anomalous in the HPG, but proves definitely superior to direct methods for estimating the divergence rate of heat conductivity which turns out to be $0.333\pm 0.004$, in perfect agreement with the dynamical renormalization--group prediction (1/3).

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2004

Directed Percolation with long-range interactions: modeling non-equilibrium wetting

It is argued that some phase--transitions observed in models of non-equilibrium wetting phenomena are related to contact processes with long-range interactions. This is investigated by introducing a model where the activation rate of a site at the edge of an inactive island of length $\ell$ is $1+a\ell^{-σ}$. Mean--field analysis and numerical simulations indicate that for $σ>1$ the transition is continuous and belongs to the universality class of directed percolation, while for $0<σ<1$, the transition becomes first order. This criterion is then applied to discuss critical properties of various models of non--equilibrium wetting.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2003

Recoil-induced lasing

The interaction of an atomic gas confined inside a cavity with a strong electromagnetic field is numerically and theoretically investigated in a regime where recoil effects are not negligible. The spontaneous appearance of a density grating (atomic bunching) accompanied by the onset of coherent backpropagation is found to be ruled by a continuous phase-transition. Numerical tests allow us to convincingly prove that the transition is steered by the appearence of a periodic atomic density modulation. Consideration of different experimental relaxation mechanisms induces us to analyze the problem in nearly analytic form, in the large detuning limit, using both a Vlasov approach and a Fokker-Planck description. The application of our predictions to recent experimental findings, reported in [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 91}, 183601 (2003)], yields a semi-quantitative agreement with the observations.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2003

Fracture precursors in disordered systems

A two-dimensional lattice model with bond disorder is used to investigate the fracture behaviour under stress-controlled conditions. Although the cumulative energy of precursors does not diverge at the critical point, its derivative with respect to the control parameter (reduced stress) exhibits a singular behaviour. Our results are nevertheless compatible with previous experimental findings, if one restricts the comparison to the (limited) range accessible in the experiment. A power-law avalanche distribution is also found with an exponent close to the experimental values.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2003

From multiplicative noise to directed percolation in wetting transitions

A simple one-dimensional microscopic model of the depinning transition of an interface from an attractive hard wall is introduced and investigated. Upon varying a control parameter, the critical behaviour observed along the transition line changes from a directed-percolation to a multiplicative-noise type. Numerical simulations allow for a quantitative study of the multicritical point separating the two regions, Mean-field arguments and the mapping on a yet simpler model provide some further insight on the overall scenario.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2003

Wetting under non-equilibrium conditions

We report a detailed account of the phase diagram of a recently introduced model for non-equilibrium wetting in 1+1 dimensions [Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 2710 (1997)]. A mean field approximation is shown to reproduce the main features of the phase diagram, while providing indications for the behaviour of the wetting transition in higher dimensions. The mean field phase diagram is found to exhibit an extra transition line which does not exist in 1+1 dimensions. The line separates a phase in which the interface height distribution decays exponentially at large heights, from a superexponentially decaying phase. Implications to wetting in dimensions higher than 1+1 are discussed.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2002

On the relationship between directed percolation and the synchronization transition in spatially extended systems

We study the nature of the synchronization transition in spatially extended systems by discussing a simple stochastic model. An analytic argument is put forward showing that, in the limit of discontinuous processes, the transition belongs to the directed percolation (DP) universality class. The analysis is complemented by a detailed investigation of the dependence of the first passage time for the amplitude of the difference field on the adopted threshold. We find the existence of a critical threshold separating the regime controlled by linear mechanisms from that controlled by collective phenomena. As a result of this analysis we conclude that the synchronization transition belongs to the DP class also in continuous models. The conclusions are supported by numerical checks on coupled map lattices too.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2001

Emergence of chaotic behaviour in linearly stable systems

Strong nonlinear effects combined with diffusive coupling may give rise to unpredictable evolution in spatially extended deterministic dynamical systems even in the presence of a fully negative spectrum of Lyapunov exponents. This regime, denoted as ``stable chaos'', has been so far mainly characterized by numerical studies. In this manuscript we investigate the mechanisms that are at the basis of this form of unpredictable evolution generated by a nonlinear information flow through the boundaries. In order to clarify how linear stability can coexist with nonlinear instability, we construct a suitable stochastic model. In the absence of spatial coupling, the model does not reveal the existence of any self-sustained chaotic phase. Nevertheless, already this simple regime reveals peculiar differences between the behaviour of finite-size and that of infinitesimal perturbations. A mean-field analysis of the truly spatially extended case clarifies that the onset of chaotic behaviour can be traced back to the diffusion process that tends to shift the growth rate of finite perturbations from the quenched to the annealed average. The possible characterization of the transition as the onset of directed percolation is also briefly discussed as well as the connections with a synchronization transition.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv1999

Reconstruction of systems with delayed feedback: (II) Application

We apply a recently proposed method for the analysis of time series from systems with delayed feedback to experimental data generated by a CO_2 laser. The method is able to estimate the delay time with an error of the order of the sampling interval, while an approach based on the peaks of either the autocorrelation function, or the time delayed mutual information would yield systematically larger values. We reconstruct rather accurately the equations of motion and, in turn, estimate the Lyapunov spectrum even for rather high dimensional attractors. By comparing models constructed for different 'embedding dimensions' with the original data, we are able to find the minimal faitfhful model. For short delays, the results of our procedure have been cross-checked using a conventional Takens time-delay embedding. For large delays, the standard analysis is inapplicable since the dynamics becomes hyperchaotic. In such a regime we provide the first experimental evidence that the Lyapunov spectrum, rescaled according to the delay time, is independent of the delay time itself. This is in full analogy with the independence of the system size found in spatially extended systems.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1999

General properties of propagation in chaotic systems

We conjecture that in one-dimensional spatially extended systems the propagation velocity of correlations coincides with a zero of the convective Lyapunov spectrum. This conjecture is successfully tested in three different contexts: (i) a Hamiltonian system (a Fermi-Pasta-Ulam chain of oscillators); (ii) a general model for spatio-temporal chaos (the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation); (iii) experimental data taken from a CO_2 laser with delayed feedback. In the last case, the convective Lyapunov exponent is determined directly from the experimental data.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1999

Time evolution of wave-packets in quasi-1D disordered media

We have investigated numerically the quantum evolution of a wave-packet in a quenched disordered medium described by a tight-binding Hamiltonian with long-range hopping (band random matrix approach). We have obtained clean data for the scaling properties in time and in the bandwidth b of the packet width and its fluctuations with respect to disorder realizations. We confirm that the fluctuations of the packet width in the steady-state show an anomalous scaling and we give a new estimate of the anomalous scaling exponent. This anomalous behaviour is related to the presence of non-Gaussian tails in the distribution of the packet width. Finally, we have analysed the steady state probability profile and we have found finite band corrections of order 1/b with respect to the theoretical formula derived by Zhirov in the limit of infinite bandwidth. In a neighbourhood of the origin, however, the corrections are $O(1/\sqrt{b})$.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv1999

Finite thermal conductivity in 1d lattices

We discuss the thermal conductivity of a chain of coupled rotators, showing that it is the first example of a 1d nonlinear lattice exhibiting normal transport properties in the absence of an on-site potential. Numerical estimates obtained by simulating a chain in contact with two thermal baths at different temperatures are found to be consistent with those ones based on linear response theory. The dynamics of the Fourier modes provides direct evidence of energy diffusion. The finiteness of the conductivity is traced back to the occurrence of phase-jumps. Our conclusions are confirmed by the analysis of two variants of this model.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1999

Analytic estimate of the maximum Lyapunov exponent in coupled-map lattices

In this work we present a theoretical and numerical study of the behaviour of the maximum Lyapunov exponent for a generic coupled-map-lattice in the weak-coupling regime. We explain the observed results by introducing a suitable continuous-time formulation of the tangent dynamics. The first general result is that the deviation of the Lyapunov exponent from the uncoupled-limit limit is function of a single scaling parameter which, in the case of strictly positive multipliers, is the ratio of the coupling strength with the variance of local multipliers. Moreover, we find an approximate analytic expression for the Lyapunov exponent by mapping the problem onto the evolution of a chain of nonlinear Langevin equations, which are eventually reduced to a single stochastic equation. The probability distribution of this dynamical equation provides an excellent description for the behaviour of the Lyapunov exponent. Furthermore, multipliers with random signs are considered as well, finding that the Lyapunov exponent still depends on a single scaling parameter, which however has a different expression.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1998

N-tree approximation for the largest Lyapunov exponent of a coupled-map lattice

The N-tree approximation scheme, introduced in the context of random directed polymers, is here applied to the computation of the maximum Lyapunov exponent in a coupled map lattice. We discuss both an exact implementation for small tree-depth $n$ and a numerical implementation for larger $n$s. We find that the phase-transition predicted by the mean field approach shifts towards larger values of the coupling parameter when the depth $n$ is increased. We conjecture that the transition eventually disappears.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv1998

Finite-length Lyapunov exponents and conductance for quasi-1D disordered solids

The transfer matrix method is applied to finite quasi-1D disordered samples attached to perfect leads. The model is described by structured band matrices with random and regular entries. We investigate numerically the level spacing distribution for finite-length Lyapunov exponents as well as the conductance and its fluctuations for different channel numbers and sample sizes. A comparison is made with theoretical predictions and with numerical results recently obtained with the scattering matrix approach. The role of the coupling and finite size effects is also discussed.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv1998

Finite-Size Corrections in Lyapunov Spectra for Band Random Matrices

The transfer matrix method is applied to quasi one-dimensional and one-dimensional disordered systems with long-range interactions, described by band random matrices. We investigate the convergence properties of the whole Lyapunov spectra of finite samples as a function of the bandwidth and of the sample length. Two different scaling laws are found at the maximal and minimal Lyapunov exponents.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗