arXiv subjects

Antonio Politi

Publications and source records attributed to Antonio Politi.

89 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2003

Thermally activated processes in polymer dynamics

Jumps between neighboring minima in the energy landscape of both homopolymeric and heteropolymeric chains are numerically investigated by determining the average escape time from different valleys. The numerical results are compared to the theoretical expression derived by Langer [J.S. Langer, Ann. Phys. 54 (1969) 258] with reference to a 2N-dimensional space. Our simulations indicate that the dynamics within the native valley is well described by a sequence of thermally activated process up to temperatures well above the folding temperature. At larger temperatures, systematic deviations from the Langer's estimate are instead observed. Several sources for such discrepancies are thoroughly discussed.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2003

Thermal conduction in classical low-dimensional lattices

Deriving macroscopic phenomenological laws of irreversible thermodynamics from simple microscopic models is one of the tasks of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. We consider stationary energy transport in crystals with reference to simple mathematical models consisting of coupled oscillators on a lattice. The role of lattice dimensionality on the breakdown of the Fourier's law is discussed and some universal quantitative aspects are emphasized: the divergence of the finite-size thermal conductivity is characterized by universal laws in one and two dimensions. Equilibrium and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics methods are presented along with a critical survey of previous numerical results. Analytical results for the non-equilibrium dynamics can be obtained in the harmonic chain where the role of disorder and localization can be also understood. The traditional kinetic approach, based on the Boltzmann-Peierls equation is also briefly sketched with reference to one-dimensional chains. Simple toy models can be defined in which the conductivity is finite. Anomalous transport in integrable nonlinear systems is briefly discussed. Finally, possible future research themes are outlined.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2003

An open-system approach for the characterization of spatio-temporal chaos

We investigate the structure of the invariant measure of space-time chaos by adopting an "open-system" point of view. We consider large but finite windows of formally infinite one-dimensional lattices and quantify the effect of the interaction with the outer region by mapping the problem on the dynamical characterization of localized perturbations. This latter task is performed by suitably generalizing the concept of Lyapunov spectrum to cope with perturbations that propagate outside the region under investigation. As a result, we are able to introduce a "volume"-propagation velocity, i.e. the velocity with which ensembles of localized perturbations tend to fill volumes in the neighbouring regions.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2002

Failure time in the fiber-bundle model with thermal noise and disorder

The average time for the onset of macroscopic fractures is analytically and numerically investigated in the fiber-bundle model with quenched disorder and thermal noise under a constant load. We find an implicit exact expression for the failure time in the low-temperature limit that is accurately confirmed by direct simulations. The effect of the disorder is to lower the energy barrier.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2001

A dynamical approach to protein folding

In this paper we show that a dynamical description of the protein folding process provides an effective representation of equilibrium properties and it allows for a direct investigation of the mechanisms ruling the approach towards the native configuration. The results reported in this paper have been obtained for a two-dimensional toy-model of amino acid sequences, whose native configurations were previously determined by Monte Carlo techniques. The somewhat controversial scenario emerging from the comparison among various thermodynamical indicators is definitely better resolved relying upon a truly dynamical description, that points out the crucial role played by long-range interactions in determining the characteristic step-wise evolution of ``good'' folders to their native state. It is worth stressing that this dynamical scenario is consistent with the information obtained by exploring the energy landscapes of different sequences. This suggests that even the identification of more efficient ``static'' indicators should take into account the peculiar features associated with the complex ``orography'' of the landscape.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1999

First order phase transition in a 1+1-dimensional nonequilibrium wetting process

A model for nonequilibrium wetting in 1+1 dimensions is introduced. It comprises adsorption and desorption processes with a dynamics which generically does not obey detailed balance. Depending on the rates of the dynamical processes the wetting transition is either of first or second order. It is found that the wet (unbound) and the non-wet (pinned) states coexist and are both thermodynamically stable in a domain of the dynamical parameters which define the model. This is in contrast with equilibrium transitions where coexistence of thermodynamically stable states takes place only on the transition line.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1999

Identification and characterization of systems with delayed feedback: (I) Theory and tools

High-dimensional chaos displayed by multi-component systems with a single time-delayed feedback is shown to be accessible to time series analysis of a scalar variable only. The mapping of the original dynamics onto scalar time-delay systems defined on sufficiently high dimensional spaces is thoroughly discussed. The dimension of the ``embedding'' space turns out to be independent of the delay time and thus of the dimensionality of the attractor dynamics. As a consequence, the procedure described in the present paper turns out to be definitely advantageous with respect to the standard ``embedding'' technique in the case of high-dimensional chaos, when the latter is practically unapplicable. The mapping is not exact when delayed maps are used to reproduce the dynamics of time-continuous systems, but the errors can be kept under control. In this context, the approximation of delay-differential equations is discussed with reference to different classes of maps. Appropriate tools to estimate the a priori unknown delay time and the number of hidden components are introduced. The generalized Mackey-Glass system is investigated in detail as a testing ground for the theoretical considerations.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1998

Fractal dimension of space-time chaos

A class of simplified measures is constructed to capture the key features of generic spatio-temporally chaotic systems. A combined analytical and numerical investigation allows us to extablish the scaling beahviour of the fractal dimension in open systems. Our results improve a previous conjecture and, what is more important, furnish a clear framework for both numerical and analytical checks of the underlying assumptions.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1998

On the anomalous thermal conductivity of one-dimensional lattices

The divergence of the thermal conductivity in the thermodynamic limit is thoroughly investigated. The divergence law is consistently determined with two different numerical approaches based on equilibrium and non-equilibrium simulations. A possible explanation in the framework of linear-response theory is also presented, which traces back the physical origin of this anomaly to the slow diffusion of the energy of long-wavelength Fourier modes. Finally, the results of dynamical simulations are compared with the predictions of mode-coupling theory.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1998

Lyapunov Exponents from Node-Counting Arguments

A conjecture connecting Lyapunov exponents of coupled map lattices and the node theorem is presented. It is based on the analogy between the linear stability analysis of extended chaotic states and the Schrödinger problem for a particle in a disordered potential. As a consequence, we propose an alternative method to compute the Lyapunov spectrum. The implications on the foundation of the recently proposed ``chronotopic approach'' are also discussed.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1997

Energy transport in anharmonic lattices close and far from equilibrium

The problem of stationary heat transport in the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam chain is numerically studied showing that the conductivity diverges in the thermodynamic limit. Simulations were performed with time-reversible thermostats, both for small and large temperature gradients. In the latter case, fluctuations of the heat current are shown to be in agreement with the recent conjectures of Gallavotti and Cohen.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1997

A Model for Nonequilibrium Wetting Transitions in Two Dimensions

A simple two dimensional model of a phase growing on a substrate is introduced. The model is characterized by an adsorption rate q, and a desorption rate p. It exhibits a wetting transition which may be viewed as an unbinding transition of an interface from a wall. For p=1, the model may be mapped onto an exactly soluble equilibrium model exhibiting complete wetting with critical exponents gamma = 1/3 for the diverging interface width and x_0 = 1 for the zero-level occupation. For 0 < p != 1 a crossover to different exponents is observed which is related to a KPZ type nonlinearity.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1997

Entropy potential and Lyapunov exponents

According to a previous conjecture, spatial and temporal Lyapunov exponents of chaotic extended systems can be obtained from derivatives of a suitable function: the entropy potential. The validity and the consequences of this hypothesis are explored in detail. The numerical investigation of a continuous-time model provides a further confirmation to the existence of the entropy potential. Furthermore, it is shown that the knowledge of the entropy potential allows determining also Lyapunov spectra in general reference frames where the time-like and space-like axes point along generic directions in the space-time plane. Finally, the existence of an entropy potential implies that the integrated density of positive exponents (Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy) is independent of the chosen reference frame.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1996

Chronotopic Lyapunov Analysis: (II) towards a Unified Approach

From the analyticity properties of the equation governing infinitesimal perturbations, it is shown that all stability properties of spatially extended 1D systems can be derived from a single function that we call entropy potential since it gives directly the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy density. Such a function allows determining also Lyapunov spectra in reference frames where time-like and space-like axes point in general directions in the space-time plane. The existence of an entropy potential implies that the integrated density of positive exponents is independent of the reference frame.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1995

Chronotopic Lyapunov Analysis: (I) a Comprehensive Characterization of 1D Systems

Instabilities in 1D spatially extended systems are studied with the aid of both temporal and spatial Lyapunov exponents. A suitable representation of the spectra allows a compact description of all the possible disturbances in tangent space. The analysis is carried out for chaotic and periodic spatiotemporal patterns. Singularities of the spectra and localization properties of the associated Lyapunov vectors are discussed.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1994

Linear And Nonlinear Mechanisms Of Information Propagation

The mechanisms of information transmission are investigated in a lattice of coupled continuous maps, by analyzing the propagation of both finite and infinitesimal disturbances. Two distinct regimes are detected: in the former case, both classes of perturbations spread with the same velocity; in the latter case, finite perturbations propagate faster than infinitesimal ones. The transition between the two phases is also investigated by determining the scaling behaviour of the order parameter.

chao-dyn↗

arXiv1994

A generating partition for the standard map

A procedure to obtain the symbolic dynamics for conservative dynamical systems is introduced with reference to the standard map in a strongly chaotic regime. The method extends an approach previously developed for highly dissipative systems. It is based on the construction of a generating partition from homoclinic tangencies and fibers of invariant manifolds. It is found that some arbitrariness in the construction of the partition is unavoidable.

chao-dyn↗