arXiv subjects

Piero Cipriani

Publications and source records attributed to Piero Cipriani.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2007

Boltzmann conjecture, meta-equilibrium entropy, second law, chaos and irreversibility for many body systems

A heuristic generalization of the Boltzmann-Gibbs microcanonical entropy is proposed, able to describe meta-equilibrium features and evolution of macroscopic systems. Despite its simple-minded derivation, such a function of "collective parameters" characterizing the microscopic state of N-body systems, yields, at one time, a statistical interpretation of dynamic evolution, and dynamic insights on the basic assumption of statistical mechanics. Its natural (implicit) time dependence entails} a "Second Law-like" behaviour and allows moreover, to perform an elementary test of the Loschmidt reversibility objection, pointing out the crucial relevance of Chaos in setting up effective (statistico-mechanical and dynamical) "arrows of time". Several concrete (analytical and numerical) applications illustrate its properties.

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↗

arXiv2001

Fast instability indicator in few dimensional dynamical systems

Using the tools of Differential Geometry, we define a new < > chaoticity indicator, able to detect dynamical instability of trajectories much more effectively, (i.e. "quickly") than the usual tools, like Lyapunov Characteristic Numbers (LCN's) or Poincare` Surface of Section. Moreover, at variance with other "fast" indicators proposed in the Literature, it gives informations about the asymptotic behaviour of trajectories, though being local in phase-space. Furthermore, it detects the chaotic or regular nature of geodesics without any reference to a given perturbation and it allows also to discriminate between different regimes (and possibly sources) of chaos in distinct regions of phase-space.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2001

On the clustering phase transition in self-gravitating N-body systems

The thermodynamic behaviour of self-gravitating $N$-body systems has been worked out by borrowing a standard method from Molecular Dynamics: the time averages of suitable quantities are numerically computed along the dynamical trajectories to yield thermodynamic observables. The link between dynamics and thermodynamics is made in the microcanonical ensemble of statistical mechanics. The dynamics of self-gravitating $N$-body systems has been computed using two different kinds of regularization of the newtonian interaction: the usual softening and a truncation of the Fourier expansion series of the two-body potential. $N$ particles of equal masses are constrained in a finite three dimensional volume. Through the computation of basic thermodynamic observables and of the equation of state in the $P - V$ plane, new evidence is given of the existence of a second order phase transition from a homogeneous phase to a clustered phase. This corresponds to a crossover from a polytrope of index $n=3$, i.e. $p=K V^{-4/3}$, to a perfect gas law $p=K V^{-1}$, as is shown by the isoenergetic curves on the $P - V$ plane. The dynamical-microcanonical averages are compared to their corresponding canonical ensemble averages, obtained through standard Monte Carlo computations. A major disagreement is found, because the canonical ensemble seems to have completely lost any information about the phase transition. The microcanonical ensemble appears as the only reliable statistical framework to tackle self-gravitating systems. Finally, our results -- obtained in a ``microscopic'' framework -- are compared with some existing theoretical predictions -- obtained in a ``macroscopic'' (thermodynamic) framework: qualitative and quantitative agreement is found, with an interesting exception.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Strong Chaos in the N-body problem and Microcanonical Thermodynamics of collisionless self gravitating systems

The dynamical justifications which lie at the basis of an effective Statistical Mechanics for self gravitating systems are formulated, analyzing some among the well known obstacles thought to prevent a rigorous Statistical treatment. It is shown that N-body gravitational systems satisfy a strong chaos criterion, so supporting the assumption of an increasingly uniform spreading of orbits over the constant energy surface, i.e., the asymptotic evolution towards a microcanonical distribution. We then focus on the necessary conditions for the equivalence of statistical ensembles and remark that this equivalence is broken for any N-body system whose interaction has a range comparable with its spatial extension. Once realized that the obstacles originate from the long range nature of the Newtonian interaction, leading to the non-extensivity of canonical and grand-canonical thermodynamic potentials, we show that instead a suitably generalized microcanonical ensemble constitutes an orthode, i.e., a reliable framework for a correct Thermodynamics. Within this setting we use the thermodynamic relations and find consistent definitions for Entropy (which turns out to be extensive, despite the non stable nature of the interaction), Temperature and Heat Capacity. Then, a Second Law-like criterion is used to select the hierarchy of secular equilibria describing, for any finite time, the macroscopic behaviour of self gravitating systems.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

The (In)stability of Bianchi IX Dynamics: Geodesic Deviation Equations in Finsler Spaces

We explore the dynamical stability of the minisuperspace Hamiltonian of the Bianchi IX cosmological models, giving a gauge-invariant and unapproximated description of the full continuous dynamics, achieved through a geometrical description of the equations of motion in the framework of the theory of Finsler Spaces. The numerical integrations of the geodesics and geodesic deviation equations show clearly the absence of any "traditional" signature of Chaos, while suggesting a chaotic scattering dynamics scenario.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1998

Finsler Geometric Local Indicator of Chaos for single orbits in the Henon-Heiles hamiltonian

Translating the dynamics of the Henon--Heiles hamiltonian as a geodesic flow on a Finsler manifold, we obtain a local and synthetic Geometric Indicator of Chaos (GIC) for two degrees of freedom continuous dynamical systems. It represents a link between local quantities and asymptotic behaviour of orbits giving a strikingly evident, one-to-one, correspondence between geometry and instability.

chao-dyn↗