arXiv subjects

Lamberto Rondoni

Publications and source records attributed to Lamberto Rondoni.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Deterministic reversible model of non-equilibrium phase transitions and stochastic counterpart

N point particles move within a billiard table made of two circular cavities connected by a straight channel. The usual billiard dynamics is modified so that it remains deterministic, phase space volumes preserving and time reversal invariant. Particles move in straight lines and are elastically reflected at the boundary of the table, as usual, but those in a channel that are moving away from a cavity invert their motion (rebound), if their number exceeds a given threshold T. When the geometrical parameters of the billiard table are fixed, this mechanism gives rise to non--equilibrium phase transitions in the large N limit: letting T/N decrease, the homogeneous particle distribution abruptly turns into a stationary inhomogeneous one. The equivalence with a modified Ehrenfest two urn model, motivated by the ergodicity of the billiard with no rebound, allows us to obtain analytical results that accurately describe the numerical billiard simulation results. Thus, a stochastic exactly solvable model that exhibits non-equilibrium phase transitions is also introduced.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2019

Thermodynamics of fluctuations in small systems interacting with the environment

A few decades after Hill's work on nano-thermodynamics, the development of a thermodynamic framework, to account consistently for the fluctuations of small systems due to their interactions with the surrounding environment, is still underway. Here we discuss how, in a small system, the interaction energy with the environment may be described through a conjugate pair of intensive and extensive variables, giving rise to a Gibbs thermodynamics with an additional thermodynamic degree of freedom. The relevant thermodynamic potentials help describe the equilibrium conditions and the material properties that measure the susceptibility of the system to the interaction with the environment. The resulting generalized ensembles, which describe the non-negligible, small system fluctuations, are shown to be equivalent. Away from the average thermodynamic state, the availability describes the distance between system and the environment, in terms of the maximum work extractable from the fluctuation, and a proper definition of entropy extends the thermodynamics to the generic fluctuating state. From the latter state, entropic forces arise to restore the average thermodynamic state. Our framework unifies and extends the ensemble thermodynamics by Hill and the recent advances in statistical mechanics under strong coupling and reduces to classical macroscopic thermodynamics when the system is large. The particular case of a small ideal gas system is discussed in detail and the example of a single particle immersed in a bath is revisited in the light of the new formalism.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2019

Heat flux in one-dimensional systems

Understanding heat transport in one-dimensional systems remains a major challenge in theoretical physics, both from the quantum as well as from the classical point of view. In fact, steady states of one-dimensional systems are commonly characterized by macroscopic inhomogeneities, and by long range correlations, as well as large fluctuations that are typically absent in standard three-dimensional thermodynamic systems. These effects violate locality --material properties in the bulk may be strongly affected by the boundaries, leading to anomalous energy transport-- and they make more problematic the interpretation of mechanical microscopic quantities in terms of thermodynamic observables. Here, we revisit the problem of heat conduction in chains of classical nonlinear oscillators, following a Lagrangian and an Eulerian approach. The Eulerian definition of the flux is composed of a convective and a conductive component. The former component tends to prevail at large temperatures where the system behavior is increasingly gas-like. Finally, we find that the convective component tends to be negative in the presence of a negative pressure.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2019

Equivalence of position-position auto-correlations in the Slicer Map and the Lévy-Lorentz gas

The Slicer Map is a one-dimensional non-chaotic dynamical system that shows sub-, super-, and normal diffusion as a function of its control parameter. In a recent paper [Salari et al., CHAOS 25, 073113 (2015)] it was found that the moments of the position distributions as the Slicer Map have the same asymptotic behaviour as the Lévy-Lorentz gas, a random walk on the line in which the scatterers are randomly distributed according to a Lévy-stable probability distribution. Here we derive analytic expressions for the position-position correlations of the Slicer Map and, on the ground of this result, we formulate some conjectures about the asymptotic behaviour of position-position correlations of the Lévy-Lorentz gas, for which the information in the literature is minimal. The numerically estimated position-position correlations of the Lévy-Lorentz show a remarkable agreement with the conjectured asymptotic scaling.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2019

Transport in quantum multi-barrier systems as random walks on a lattice

A quantum finite multi-barrier system, with a periodic potential, is considered and exact expressions for its plane wave amplitudes are obtained using the Transfer Matrix method [10]. This quantum model is then associated with a stochastic process of independent random walks on a lattice, by properly relating the wave amplitudes with the hopping probabilities of the particles moving on the lattice and with the injection rates from external particle reservoirs. Analytical and numerical results prove that the stationary density profile of the particle system overlaps with the quantum mass density profile of the stationary Schrodinger equation, when the parameters of the two models are suitably matched. The equivalence between the quantum model and a stochastic particle system would mainly be fruitful in a disordered setup. Indeed, we also show, here, that this connection, analytically proven to hold for periodic barriers, holds even when the width of the barriers and the distance between barriers are randomly chosen.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2018

Asymmetry relations and effective temperatures for biased Brownian gyrators

We focus on a paradigmatic two-dimensional model of a nanoscale heat engine, - the so-called Brownian gyrator - whose stochastic dynamics is described by a pair of coupled Langevin equations with different temperature noise terms. This model is known to produce a curl-carrying non-equilibrium steady-state with persistent angular rotations. We generalize the original model introducing constant forces doing work on the gyrator, for which we derive exact asymmetry relations, that are reminiscent of the standard fluctuation relations. Unlike the latter, our relations concern instantaneous and not time averaged values of the observables of interest. We investigate the full two-dimensional dynamics as well as the dynamics projected on the $x$- and $y$-axes, so that information about the state of the system can be obtained from just a part of its degrees of freedom. Such a state is characterized by effective "temperatures" that can be measured in nanoscale devices, but do not have a thermodynamic nature. Remarkably, the effective temperatures appearing in full dynamics are distinctly different from the ones emerging in its projections, confirming that they are not thermodynamic quantities, although they precisely characterize the state of the system.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2018

$O(N)$ fluctuations and lattice distortions in 1-dimensional systems

Statistical mechanics harmonizes mechanical and thermodynamical quantities, via the notion of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). In absence of external drivings, LTE becomes equilibrium tout court, and states are characterized by several thermodynamic quantities, each of which is associated with negligibly fluctuating microscopic properties. Under small driving and LTE, locally conserved quantities are transported as prescribed by linear hydrodynamic laws, in which the local material properties of the system are represented by the transport coefficients. In 1-dimensional systems, on the other hand, the transport coefficients often appear to depend on the global state, rather than on the local state of the system at hand. We interpret these facts within the framework of boundary driven 1-dimensional Lennard-Jones chains of $N$ oscillators, observing that they experience non-negligible $O(N)$ lattice distortions and fluctuations. This implies that standard hydrodynamics and certain expressions of energy flow do not apply in these cases. One possible modification of the energy flow is considered.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2017

4-wave dynamics in kinetic wave turbulence

A general Hamiltonian wave system with quartic resonances is considered, in the standard kinetic limit of a continuum of weakly interacting dispersive waves with random phases. The evolution equation for the multimode characteristic function $Z$ is obtained within an "interaction representation" and a perturbation expansion in the small nonlinearity parameter. A frequency renormalization is performed to remove linear terms that do not appear in the 3-wave case. Feynman-Wyld diagrams are used to average over phases, leading to a first order differential evolution equation for $Z$. A hierarchy of equations, analogous to the Boltzmann hierarchy for low density gases is derived, which preserves in time the property of random phases and amplitudes. This amounts to a general formalism for both the $N$-mode and the 1-mode PDF equations for 4-wave turbulent systems, suitable for numerical simulations and for investigating intermittency.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2017

Quantum thermostatted disordered systems and sensitivity under compression

A one-dimensional quantum system with off diagonal disorder, consisting of a sample of conducting regions randomly interspersed within potential barriers is considered. Results mainly concerning the large $N$ limit are presented. In particular, the effect of compression on the transmission coefficient is investigated. A numerical method to simulate such a system, for a physically relevant number of barriers, is proposed. It is shown that the disordered model converges to the periodic case as $N$ increases, with a rate of convergence which depends on the disorder degree. Compression always leads to a decrease of the transmission coefficient which may be exploited to design nano-technological sensors. Effective choices for the physical parameters to improve the sensitivity are provided. Eventually large fluctuations and rate functions are analysed.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2017

Wave-Turbulence Theory of four-wave nonlinear interactions

The Sagdeev-Zaslavski (SZ) equation for wave turbulence is analytically derived, both in terms of generating function and of multi-point pdf, for weakly interacting waves with initial random phases. When also initial amplitudes are random, the one-point pdf equation is derived. Such analytical calculations remarkably agree with results obtained in totally different fashions. Numerical investigations of the two-dimensional nonlinear Schroedinger equation (NLSE) and of a vibrating plate prove that: (i) generic Hamiltonian 4-wave systems rapidly attain a random distribution of phases independently of the slower dynamics of the amplitudes, vindicating the hypothesis of initially random phases; (ii) relaxation of the Fourier amplitudes to the predicted stationary distribution (exponential) happens on a faster timescale than relaxation of the spectrum (Rayleigh-Jeans distribution); (iii) the pdf equation correctly describes dynamics under different forcings: the NLSE has an exponential pdf corresponding to a quasi-gaussian solution, like the vibrating plates, that also show some intermittency at very strong forcings.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2017

Nonequilibrium Langevin dynamics: a demonstration study of shear flow fluctuations in a simple fluid

The present study is based on a recent success of the second-order stochastic fluctuation theory in describing time autocorrelations of equilibrium and nonequilibrium physical systems. In particular, it was shown to yield values of the related deterministic parameters of the Langevin equation for a Couette flow in a microscopic Molecular Dynamics model of a simple fluid. In this paper we find all the remaining constants of the stochastic dynamics, which is then numerically simulated and directly compared with the original physical system. By using these data, we study in detail the accuracy and precision of a second-order Langevin model for nonequilibrium physical systems, theoretically and computationally. In addition, an intriguing relation is found between an applied external force and cumulants of the resulting flow fluctuations. This is characterized by a linear dependence of athermal cumulant ratio, a new quantity introduced here.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2016

The Langevin equation for systems with a preferred spatial direction

In this paper, we generalize the theory of Brownian motion and the Onsager-Machlup theory of fluctuations for spatially symmetric systems to equilibrium and nonequilibrium steady-state systems with a preferred spatial direction, due to an external force. To do this, we extend the Langevin equation to include a bias, which is introduced by the external force and alters the Gaussian structure of the system's fluctuations. By solving this extended equation, we demonstrate that the statistical properties of the fluctuations in these systems can be predicted from physical observables, such as the temperature and the hydrodynamic gradients.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2016

Ergodicity of non-Hamiltonian equilibrium systems

It is well known that ergodic theory can be used to formally prove a weak form of relaxation to equilibrium for finite, mixing, Hamiltonian systems. In this Letter we extend this proof to any dynamics that preserves a mixing equilibrium distribution. The proof uses an approach similar to that used in umbrella sampling, and demonstrates the need for a form of ergodic consistency of the initial and final distribution. This weak relaxation only applies to averages of physical properties. It says nothing about whether the distribution of states relaxes towards the equilibrium distribution or how long the relaxation of physical averages takes.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2016

On the relaxation to nonequilibrium steady states

The issue of relaxation has been addressed in terms of ergodic theory in the past. However, the application of that theory to models of physical interest is problematic, especially when dealing with relaxation to nonequilibrium steady states. Here, we consider the relaxation of classical, thermostatted particle systems to equilibrium as well as to nonequilibrium steady states, using dynamical notions including decay of correlations. We show that the condition known as ΩT-mixing is necessary and sufficient to prove relaxation of ensemble averages to steady state values. We then observe that the condition known as weak T-mixing applied to smooth observables is sufficient for relaxation to be independent of the initial ensemble. Lastly, weak T-mixing for integrable functions makes relaxation independent of the ensemble member, apart from a negligible set of members enabling the result to be applied to observations from a single physical experiment. The results also allow us to give a microscopic derivation of Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production in the linear response regime. The key to deriving these results lies in shifting the discussion from characteristics of dynamical systems, such as those related to metric transitivity, to physical measurements and to the behaviour of observables. This naturally leads to the notion of physical ergodicity.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2015

About the maximum entropy principle in non equilibrium statistical mechanics

The maximum entropy principle (MEP) apparently allows us to derive, or justify, fundamental results of equilibrium statistical mechanics. Because of this, a school of thought considers the MEP as a powerful and elegant way to make predictions in physics and other disciplines, which constitutes an alternative and more general method than the traditional ones of statistical mechanics. Actually, careful inspection shows that such a success is due to a series of fortunate facts that characterize the physics of equilibrium systems, but which are absent in situations not described by Hamiltonian dynamics, or generically in nonequilibrium phenomena. Here we discuss several important examples in non equilibrium statistical mechanics, in which the MEP leads to incorrect predictions, proving that it does not have a predictive nature. We conclude that, in these paradigmatic examples, the "traditional" methods based on a detailed analysis of the relevant dynamics cannot be avoided.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2015

Driven diffusion against electrostatic or effective energy barrier across Alpha-Hemolysin

We analyze the translocation of a charged particle across an Alpha-Hemolysin (aHL) pore in the framework of a driven diffusion over an extended energy barrier generated by the electrical charges of the aHL. A one-dimensional electrostatic potential is extracted from the full 3D solution of the Poisson's equation. We characterize the particle transport under the action of a constant forcing by studying the statistics of the translocation time. We derive an analytical expression of translocation time average that compares well with the results from Brownian dynamic simulations of driven particles over the electrostatic potential. Moreover, we show that the translocation time distributions can be perfectly described by a simple theory which replaces the true barrier by an equivalent structureless square barrier. Remarkably our approach maintains its accuracy also for low-applied voltage regimes where the usual inverse-Gaussian approximation fails. Finally we discuss how the comparison between the simulated time distributions and their theoretical prediction results to be greatly simplified when using the notion of the empirical Laplace transform technique.

q-bio.BM↗

arXiv2015

Characterization of Cardio signals by time-frequency domain analysis

Long term behavior of nonlinear deterministic continuous time signals can be studied in terms of their reconstructed attractors. Reconstructed attractors of a continuous signal are meant to be topologically equivalent representations of the dynamics of the unknown dynamical system which generates the signal. Sometimes, geometry of the attractor or its complexity may give important information on the system of interest. However, if the trajectories of the attractor behave as if they are not coming from continuous system or there exists many spike like structures on the path of the system trajectories, then there is no way to characterize the shape of the attractor. In this article, the traditional attractor reconstruction method is first used for two types of ECG signals: Normal healthy persons (NHP) and Congestive Heart failure patients (CHFP). As common in such a framework, the reconstructed attractors are not at all well formed and hence it is not possible to adequately characterize their geometrical features. Thus, we incorporate frequency domain information to the given time signals. This is done by transforming the signals to a time frequency domain by means of suitable Wavelet transforms (WT). The transformed signal concerns two non homogeneous variables and is still quite difficult to use to reconstruct some dynamics out of it. By applying a suitable mapping, this signal is further converted into integer domain and a new type of 3D plot, called integer lag plot, which characterizes and distinguishes the ECG signals of NHP and CHFP, is finally obtained.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2015

Can complexity decrease in Congestive Heart failure?

The complexity of a signal can be measured by the Recurrence period density entropy (RPDE) from the reconstructed phase space. We have chosen a window based RPDE method for the classification of signals, as RPDE is an average entropic measure of the whole phase space. We have observed the changes in the complexity in cardiac signals of normal healthy person (NHP) and congestive heart failure patients (CHFP). The results show that the cardiac dynamics of a healthy subject is more complex and random compare to the same for a heart failure patient, whose dynamics is more deterministic. We have constructed a general threshold to distinguish the border line between a healthy and a congestive heart failure dynamics. The results may be useful for wide range for physiological and biomedical analysis.

q-bio.TO↗