arXiv subjects

Anne Kétri P. da Fonseca

Publications and source records attributed to Anne Kétri P. da Fonseca.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Integrability-breaking phase transitions in stadium-like billiards

We investigate integrability-breaking transitions in two classes of stadium-like billiards with parabolic boundaries. While focusing boundaries generate a mixed phase space in which regular islands coexist with a chaotic sea, dispersing boundaries produce a fully chaotic phase space for any finite boundary deformation. By analyzing the scaling behavior of the roughness $ω$, we identify two qualitatively distinct transitions: a continuous transition for the focusing geometry and a first-order transition for the dispersing one. We determine the corresponding critical exponents and establish the associated scaling laws. For the continuous transition, we further provide a complete characterization within the framework of critical phenomena by identifying the broken symmetry, the order parameter and its diverging susceptibility, the elementary excitations responsible for chaotic diffusion, and the topological defects governing transport. These results establish a statistical-mechanics framework for describing integrability-breaking transitions in Hamiltonian billiards and suggest that the concepts of critical phenomena naturally extend to deterministic nonlinear dynamical systems.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2026

Critical parameters of an oval billiard with an elliptical component

We explore the critical parameters responsible for the transition from integrability to chaos in a family of billiards combining elliptical and oval deformations. Unlike standard oval billiards, where a known critical parameter governs the destruction of the last invariant curve, the introduction of an integrable elliptic component yields a second deformation axis. We derive an analytical expression for the critical parameter in this combined system and validate it numerically using Slater's theorem, showing that increasing the elliptical component lowers the critical threshold for global chaos. Moreover, we uncover a previously unexplored regime: when the two deformation components are in phase, the elliptic contribution progressively suppresses chaos, leading to the restoration of invariant curves and periodic orbits. A first-order analytical approximation confirms this behavior, supported by numerical validation. Our results reveal how the interplay between distinct boundary deformations enriches phase-space organization and offers enhanced controllability of chaotic dynamics in billiard systems.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2026

Jacobian determinant as a deformation field in static billiards

We develop a deformation-based framework for analyzing static billiard systems through the Jacobian determinant computed in noncanonical angular coordinates. Although these systems are conservative, the determinant is not identically equal to unity, generating structured domains of local phase-space expansion and contraction. We show numerically that these domains balance globally, providing a geometric manifestation of area preservation in noncanonical variables. The curves defined by det J = 1 act as deformation boundaries that intersect unstable periodic points and correlate with invariant manifolds. We prove analytically that period-two orbits restore exact unit determinant under composition, while higher-period orbits exhibit angular modulation consistent with reversibility. The Jacobian determinant thus reveals an additional geometric layer in phase-space organization and offers a complementary perspective on conservative billiard dynamics.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2025

Scaling invariance for the diffusion coefficient in a billiard system

We investigated the unbounded diffusion observed in a time-dependent oval-shaped billiard and its suppression owing to inelastic collisions with the boundary. The main focus is on the behavior of the diffusion coefficient, which plays a key role in describing the scaling invariance characteristic of this transition. For short times, the low-action regime is characterized by a constant diffusion coefficient, which begins to decay after a crossover iteration, thereby suppressing the unlimited growth of velocity. We demonstrate that this behavior is scaling-invariant concerning the control parameters and can be described by a homogeneous generalized function and its associated scaling laws. The critical exponents are determined both phenomenologically and analytically, including the decay exponent beta = -1, previously identified in the diffusion coefficient of the dissipative standard map.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2024

Discussing a transition from bounded to unbounded energy in a time-dependent billiard

We revisit a time-dependent, oval-shaped billiard to investigate a phase transition from bounded to unbounded energy growth. In the static case, the phase space exhibits a mixed structure. The chaotic sea in the static scenario leads to average energy growth for a time-dependent boundary. However, inelastic collisions between the particle and the boundary limit this unbounded energy increase. This transition displays properties similar to continuous phase transitions in statistical mechanics, including scale invariance, interrelated critical exponents governed by scaling laws, and an order parameter/susceptibility approaching zero/infinity at the transition. Furthermore, the system exhibits an elementary excitation that promotes particle diffusion and lacks topological defects that provide modifications to the probability distribution function.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2022

Characterizing a transition from limited to unlimited diffusion in energy for a time-dependent billiard

We explore Fermi acceleration in a driven oval billiard which shows unlimited to limited diffusion in energy when passing from the free to the dissipative case. We provide evidence for a second-order phase transition taking place while detuning the corresponding restitution coefficient from one responsible for the degree of dissipation. A corresponding order parameter is suggested, and its susceptibility is shown to diverge at the transition point. We also discuss the underlying symmetry breaking and the elementary excitation of the controlled diffusion process.

nlin.CD↗