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Pierre-Henri Chavanis

Publications and source records attributed to Pierre-Henri Chavanis.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Hydrodynamic representation of the Klein-Gordon-Einstein equations in the weak field limit

Using a generalization of the Madelung transformation, we derive the hydrodynamic representation of the Klein-Gordon-Einstein equations in the weak field limit. We consider a complex self-interacting scalar field with an arbitrary potential of the form $V(|φ|^2)$. We compare the results with simplified models in which the gravitational potential is introduced by hand in the Klein-Gordon equation, and assumed to satisfy a (generalized) Poisson equation. Nonrelativistic hydrodynamic equations based on the Schrödinger-Poisson equations or on the Gross-Pitaevskii-Poisson equations are recovered in the limit $c\rightarrow +\infty$.

gr-qc↗

A parametrization of two-dimensional turbulence based on a maximum entropy production principle with a local conservation of energy

In the context of two-dimensional (2D) turbulence, we apply the maximum entropy production principle (MEPP) by enforcing a local conservation of energy. This leads to an equation for the vorticity distribution that conserves all the Casimirs, the energy, and that increases monotonically the mixing entropy ($H$-theorem). Furthermore, the equation for the coarse-grained vorticity dissipates monotonically all the generalized enstrophies. These equations may provide a parametrization of 2D turbulence. They do not generally relax towards the maximum entropy state. The vorticity current vanishes for any steady state of the 2D Euler equation. Interestingly, the equation for the coarse-grained vorticity obtained from the MEPP turns out to coincide, after some algebraic manipulations, with the one obtained with the anticipated vorticity method. This shows a connection between these two approaches when the conservation of energy is treated locally. Furthermore, the newly derived equation, which incorporates a diffusion term and a drift term, has a nice physical interpretation in terms of a selective decay principle. This gives a new light to both the MEPP and the anticipated vorticity method.

physics.flu-dyn↗

The Logotropic Dark Fluid as a unification of dark matter and dark energy

We propose a heuristic unification of dark matter and dark energy in terms of a single dark fluid with a logotropic equation of state $P=A\ln(ρ/ρ_P)$, where $ρ$ is the rest-mass density, $ρ_P$ is the Planck density, and $A$ is the logotropic temperature. The energy density $ε$ is the sum of a rest-mass energy term $ρc^2$ mimicking dark matter and an internal energy term $u(ρ)=-P(ρ)-A$ mimicking dark energy. The logotropic temperature is approximately given by $A \simeq ρ_Λc^2/\ln(ρ_P/ρ_Λ)\simeqρ_Λc^2/[123 \ln(10)]$, where $ρ_Λ$ is the cosmological density. More precisely, we obtain $A=2.13\times 10^{-9} \, {\rm g}\, {\rm m}^{-1}\, {\rm s}^{-2}$ that we interpret as a fundamental constant. At the cosmological scale, this model fullfills the same observational constraints as the $Λ$CDM model. However, it has a nonzero velocity of sound and a nonzero Jeans length which, at the beginning of the matter era, is about $λ_J=40.4\, {\rm pc}$, in agreement with the minimum size of the dark matter halos observed in the universe. At the galactic scale, the logotropic pressure balances gravitational attraction and solves the cusp problem and the missing satellite problem. The logotropic equation of state generates a universal rotation curve that agrees with the empirical Burkert profile of dark matter halos up to the halo radius. In addition, it implies that all the dark matter halos have the same surface density $Σ_0=ρ_0 r_h=141\, M_{\odot}/{\rm pc}^2$ and that the mass of dwarf galaxies enclosed within a sphere of fixed radius $r_{u}=300\, {\rm pc}$ has the same value $M_{300}=1.93\times 10^{7}\, M_{\odot}$, in remarkable agreement with the observations.

astro-ph.CO↗

Secular diffusion in discrete self-gravitating tepid discs II: accounting for swing amplification via the matrix method

The secular evolution of an infinitely thin tepid isolated galactic disc made of a finite number of particles is investigated using the inhomogeneous Balescu-Lenard equation expressed in terms of angle-action variables. The matrix method is implemented numerically in order to model the induced gravitational polarization. Special care is taken to account for the amplification of potential fluctuations of mutually resonant orbits and the unwinding of the induced swing amplified transients. Quantitative comparisons with ${N-}$body simulations yield consistent scalings with the number of particles and with the self-gravity of the disc: the fewer particles and the colder the disc, the faster the secular evolution. Secular evolution is driven by resonances, but does not depend on the initial phases of the disc. For a Mestel disc with ${Q \sim 1.5}$, the polarization cloud around each star boosts up its secular effect by a factor of the order of a thousand or more, promoting accordingly the dynamical relevance of self-induced collisional secular evolution. The position and shape of the induced resonant ridge are found to be in very good agreement with the prediction of the Balescu-Lenard equation, which scales with the square of the susceptibility of the disc. In astrophysics, the inhomogeneous Balescu-Lenard equation may describe the secular diffusion of giant molecular clouds in galactic discs, the secular migration and segregation of planetesimals in proto-planetary discs, or even the long-term evolution of population of stars within the Galactic centre. It could be used as a valuable check of the accuracy of ${N-}$body integrators over secular timescales.

astro-ph.GA↗

Is the Universe logotropic?

We consider the possibility that the universe is made of a single dark fluid described by a logotropic equation of state $P=A\ln(ρ/ρ_*)$, where $ρ$ is the rest-mass density, $ρ_*$ is a reference density, and $A$ is the logotropic temperature. The energy density $ε$ is the sum of two terms: a rest-mass energy term $ρc^2$ that mimics dark matter and an internal energy term $u(ρ)=-P(ρ)-A$ that mimics dark energy. This decomposition leads to a natural, and physical, unification of dark matter and dark energy, and elucidates their mysterious nature. The logotropic model depends on a single parameter $B=A/ρ_Λc^2$ where $ρ_Λ$ is the cosmological density. For $B=0$, we recover the $Λ$CDM model. Using cosmological constraints, we find that $0\le B\le 0.09425$. We consider the possibility that dark matter halos are described by the same logotropic equation of state. When $B>0$, pressure gradients prevent gravitational collapse and provide halo density cores instead of cuspy density profiles, in agreement with the observations. The universal rotation curve of logotropic dark matter halos is consistent with the observational Burkert profile up to the halo radius. Interestingly, if we assume that all the dark matter halos have the same logotropic temperature $B$, we find that their surface density $Σ=ρ_0 r_h$ is constant. This result is in agreement with the observations where it is found that $Σ_0=141\, M_{\odot}/{\rm pc}^2$ for dark matter halos differing by several orders of magnitude in size. Using this observational result, we obtain $B=3.53\times 10^{-3}$. Assuming that $ρ_*=ρ_P$, where $ρ_P$ is the Planck density, we predict $B=3.53\times 10^{-3}$, in perfect agreement with the value obtained from the observations.

astro-ph.CO↗

Secular diffusion in discrete self-gravitating tepid discs I : analytic solution in the tightly wound limit

The secular evolution of an infinitely thin tepid isolated galactic disc made of a finite number of particles is described using the inhomogeneous Balescu-Lenard equation. Assuming that only tightly wound transient spirals are present in the disc, a WKB approximation provides a simple and tractable quadrature for the corresponding drift and diffusion coefficients. It provides insight into the physical processes at work during the secular diffusion of a self-gravitating discrete disc and makes quantitative predictions on the initial variations of the distribution function in action space. When applied to the secular evolution of an isolated stationary self-gravitating Mestel disc, this formalism predicts initially the importance of the corotation resonance in the inner regions of the disc leading to a regime involving radial migration and heating. It predicts in particular the formation of a "ridge like" feature in action space, in agreement with simulations, but over-estimates the timescale involved in its appearance. Swing amplification is likely to resolve this discrepancy. In astrophysics, the inhomogeneous Balescu-Lenard equation and its WKB limit may also describe the secular diffusion of giant molecular clouds in galactic discs, the secular migration and segregation of planetesimals in proto-planetary discs, or even the long-term evolution of population of stars within the Galactic center.

astro-ph.GA↗

Explicit formula of energy-conserving Fokker-Planck type collision term for single species point vortex systems with weak mean flow

This paper derives a kinetic equation for a two-dimensional single species point vortex system. We consider a situation (different from the ones considered previously) of weak mean flow where the time scale of the macroscopic motion is longer than the decorrelation time so that the trajectory of the point vortices can be approximated by a straight line on the decorrelation time scale. This may be the case when the number $N$ of point vortices is not too large. Using a kinetic theory based on the Klimontovich formalism, we derive a collision term consisting of a diffusion term and a drift term, whose structure is similar to the Fokker-Planck equation. The collision term exhibits several important properties: (a) it includes a nonlocal effect; (b) it conserves the mean field energy; (c) it satisfies the H theorem; (d) its effect vanishes in each local equilibrium region with the same temperature. When the system reaches a global equilibrium state, the collision term completely converges to zero all over the system.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

Cosmology with a stiff matter era

We provide a simple analytical solution of the Friedmann equations for a universe made of stiff matter, dust matter, and dark energy. A stiff matter era is present in the cosmological model of Zel'dovich (1972) where the primordial universe is assumed to be made of a cold gas of baryons. It also occurs in certain cosmological models where dark matter is made of relativistic self-gravitating Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). When the energy density of the stiff matter is positive, the primordial universe is singular. It starts from a state with a vanishing scale factor and an infinite density. We consider the possibility that the energy density of the stiff matter is negative (anti-stiff matter). This happens, for example, when the BECs have an attractive self-interaction. In that case, the primordial universe is non-singular. It starts from a state in which the scale factor is finite and the energy density is equal to zero. For the sake of generality, we consider a cosmological constant of arbitrary sign. When the cosmological constant is positive, the universe asymptotically reaches a de Sitter phase where the scale factor increases exponentially rapidly. This can account for the accelerating expansion of the universe that we observe at present. When the cosmological constant is negative (anti-de Sitter), the evolution of the universe is cyclic. Therefore, depending on the sign of the energy density of the stiff matter and of the dark energy, we obtain singular and non-singular expanding or cyclic universes.

gr-qc↗

Relativistic self-gravitating Bose-Einstein condensates and cold baryons with a stiff equation of state

Because of their superfluid properties, some compact astrophysical objects such as neutron stars may contain a significant part of their matter in the form of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). We consider a partially-relativistic model of self-gravitating BECs where the relation between the pressure and the rest-mass density is assumed to be quadratic (as in the case of classical BECs) but pressure effects are taken into account in the relation between the energy density and the rest-mass density. At high densities, we get a stiff equation of state similar to the one considered by Zel'dovich (1961) in the context of baryon stars in which the baryons interact through a vector meson field. We determine the maximum mass of general relativistic BEC stars described by this equation of state by using the formalism of Tooper (1965). This maximum mass is slightly larger than the maximum mass obtained by Chavanis and Harko (2012) using a fully-relativistic model. We also consider the possibility that dark matter is made of BECs and apply the partially-relativistic model of BECs to cosmology. In this model, we show that the universe experiences a stiff matter phase, followed by a dust matter phase, and finally by a dark energy phase (equivalent to a cosmological constant). The same evolution is obtained in Zel'dovich (1972) model which assumes that initially, near the cosmological singularity, the universe is filled with cold baryons. Interestingly, the Friedmann equations can be solved analytically in that case and provide a simple generalization of the $Λ$CDM model. We point out, however, the limitations of the partially-relativistic model for BECs and show the need for a fully-relativistic one.

gr-qc↗

The fermionic King model

We study the fermionic King model which may provide a relevant model of dark matter halos. The exclusion constraint can be due to quantum mechanics (for fermions such as massive neutrinos) or to Lynden-Bell's statistics (for collisionless systems undergoing violent relaxation). This model has a finite mass. Furthermore, a statistical equilibrium state exists for all accessible values of energy. Dwarf and intermediate size halos are degenerate quantum objects stabilized against gravitational collapse by the Pauli exclusion principle. Large halos at sufficiently high energies are in a gaseous phase where quantum effects are negligible. They are stabilized by thermal motion. Below a critical energy they undergo gravitational collapse (gravothermal catastrophe). This may lead to the formation of a central black hole that does not affect the structure of the halo. This may also lead to the formation of a compact degenerate object surrounded by a hot massive atmosphere extending at large distances. We argue that large dark matter halos should not contain a degenerate nucleus (fermion ball) because these nucleus-halo structures are thermodynamically unstable. We compare the rotation curves of the classical King model to observations of large dark matter halos (Burkert profile). Because of collisions and evaporation, the central density increases while the slope of the halo density profile decreases until an instability takes place. We find that the observations are compatible with a King profile at, or close to, the point of marginal stability in the microcanonical ensemble. At that point, the King profile can be fitted by the modified Hubble profile that has a flat core and a halo in which the density decreases as $r^{-3}$. This is qualitatively similar to the Burkert profile.

astro-ph.GA↗

Models of dark matter halos based on statistical mechanics: I. The classical King model

We consider the possibility that dark matter halos are described by the Fermi-Dirac distribution at finite temperature. This is the case if dark matter is a self-gravitating quantum gas made of massive neutrinos at statistical equilibrium. This is also the case if dark matter can be treated as a self-gravitating collisionless gas experiencing Lynden-Bell's type of violent relaxation. In order to avoid the infinite mass problem and carry out a rigorous stability analysis, we consider the fermionic King model. In this paper, we study the non-degenerate limit leading to the classical King model. This model was initially introduced to describe globular clusters. We propose to apply it also to large dark matter halos where quantum effects are negligible. We determine the caloric curve and study the thermodynamical stability of the different configurations. Equilibrium states exist only above a critical energy $E_c$ in the microcanonical ensemble and only above a critical temperature $T_c$ in the canonical ensemble. For $E<E_c$, the system undergoes a gravothermal catastrophe and, for $T<T_c$, it undergoes an isothermal collapse. We compute the profiles of density, circular velocity, and velocity dispersion. We compare the prediction of the classical King model to the observations of large dark matter halos. Because of collisions and evaporation, the central density increases while the slope of the halo density profile decreases until an instability takes place. We show that large dark matter halos are relatively well-described by the King model at, or close to, the point of marginal microcanonical stability. At that point, the King model generates a density profile that can be approximated by the modified Hubble profile. This profile has a flat core and decreases as $r^{-3}$ at large distances, like the observational Burkert profile. Less steep halos are unstable.

astro-ph.CO↗

Models of dark matter halos based on statistical mechanics: II. The fermionic King model

We discuss the nature of phase transitions in the fermionic King model which describes tidally truncated quantum self-gravitating systems. This distribution function takes into account the escape of high energy particles and has a finite mass. On the other hand, the Pauli exclusion principle puts an upper bound on the phase space density of the system and stabilizes it against gravitational collapse. As a result, there exists a statistical equilibrium state for any accessible values of energy and temperature. We plot the caloric curves and investigate the nature of phase transitions as a function of the degeneracy parameter in both microcanonical and canonical ensembles. We consider stable and metastable states and emphasize the importance of the latter for systems with long-range interactions. Phase transitions can take place between a "gaseous" phase unaffected by quantum mechanics and a "condensed" phase dominated by quantum mechanics. The phase diagram exhibits two critical points, one in each ensemble, beyond which the phase transitions disappear. There also exist a region of negative specific heats and a situation of ensemble inequivalence for sufficiently large systems. We apply the fermionic King model to the case of dark matter halos made of massive neutrinos. The gaseous phase describes large halos and the condensed phase describes dwarf halos. Partially degenerate configurations describe intermediate size halos. We argue that large dark matter halos cannot harbor a fermion ball because these nucleus-halo configurations are thermodynamically unstable (saddle points of entropy). Large dark matter halos may rather contain a central black hole resulting from a dynamical instability of relativistic origin occurring during the gravothermal catastrophe.

astro-ph.CO↗

Statistical mechanics of two-dimensional point vortices: relaxation equations and strong mixing limit

We complete the literature on the statistical mechanics of point vortices in two-dimensional hydrodynamics. Using a maximum entropy principle, we determine the multi-species Boltzmann-Poisson equation and establish a form of virial theorem. Using a maximum entropy production principle (MEPP), we derive a set of relaxation equations towards statistical equilibrium. These relaxation equations can be used as a numerical algorithm to compute the maximum entropy state. We mention the analogies with the Fokker-Planck equations derived by Debye and Hückel for electrolytes. We then consider the limit of strong mixing (or low energy). To leading order, the relationship between the vorticity and the stream function at equilibrium is linear and the maximization of the entropy becomes equivalent to the minimization of the enstrophy. This expansion is similar to the Debye-Hückel approximation for electrolytes, except that the temperature is negative instead of positive so that the effective interaction between like-sign vortices is attractive instead of repulsive. This leads to an organization at large scales presenting geometry-induced phase transitions, instead of Debye shielding. We compare the results obtained with point vortices to those obtained in the context of the statistical mechanics of continuous vorticity fields described by the Miller-Robert-Sommeria (MRS) theory. At linear order, we get the same results but differences appear at the next order. In particular, the MRS theory predicts a transition between sinh and tanh-like ω-ψrelationships depending on the sign of Ku-3 (where Ku is the Kurtosis) while there is no such transition for point vortices which always show a sinh-like ω-ψrelationship. We derive the form of the relaxation equations in the strong mixing limit and show that the enstrophy plays the role of a Lyapunov functional.

physics.flu-dyn↗

Kinetic theory of spatially homogeneous systems with long-range interactions: II. Basic equations

We provide a short historic of the early development of kinetic theory in plasma physics and synthesize the basic kinetic equations describing the evolution of systems with long-range interactions derived in Paper I. We describe the evolution of the system as a whole and the relaxation of a test particle in a bath at equilibrium or out-of-equilibrium. We write these equations for an arbitrary long-range potential of interaction in a space of arbitrary dimension d. We discuss the scaling of the relaxation time with the number of particles for non-singular potentials. For always spatially homogeneous systems, the relaxation time of the system as a whole scales like N in d>1 and like N^2 (presumably) in d=1. For always spatially inhomogeneous systems, the relaxation time of the system as a whole scales like N in any dimension of space. For one dimensional systems undergoing a dynamical phase transition from a homogeneous to an inhomogeneous phase, we expect a relaxation time of the form N^δ with 1<δ<2 intermediate between the two previous cases. The relaxation time of a test particle in a bath always scales like N. We also briefly discuss the kinetic theory of systems with long-range interactions submitted to an external stochastic potential. This paper gathers basic equations that are applied to specific systems in Paper III.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

The Brownian Mean Field model

We discuss the dynamics and thermodynamics of the Brownian Mean Field (BMF) model which is a system of N Brownian particles moving on a circle and interacting via a cosine potential. It can be viewed as the canonical version of the Hamiltonian Mean Field (HMF) model. We first complete the description of this system in the mean field approximation. Then, we take fluctuations into account and study the stochastic evolution of the magnetization both in the homogeneous phase and in the inhomogeneous phase. We discuss its behavior close to the critical point.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

Gravitational phase transitions with an exclusion constraint in position space

We discuss the statistical mechanics of a system of self-gravitating particles with an exclusion constraint in position space in a space of dimension $d$. The exclusion constraint puts an upper bound on the density of the system and can stabilize it against gravitational collapse. We plot the caloric curves giving the temperature as a function of the energy and investigate the nature of phase transitions as a function of the size of the system and of the dimension of space in both microcanonical and canonical ensembles. We consider stable and metastable states and emphasize the importance of the latter for systems with long-range interactions. For $d\le 2$, there is no phase transition. For $d>2$, phase transitions can take place between a "gaseous" phase unaffected by the exclusion constraint and a "condensed" phase dominated by this constraint. The condensed configurations have a core-halo structure made of a "rocky core" surrounded by an "atmosphere", similar to a giant gaseous planet. For large systems there exist microcanonical and canonical first order phase transitions. For intermediate systems, only canonical first order phase transitions are present. For small systems there is no phase transition at all. As a result, the phase diagram exhibits two critical points, one in each ensemble. There also exist a region of negative specific heats and a situation of ensemble inequivalence for sufficiently large systems. By a proper interpretation of the parameters, our results have application for the chemotaxis of bacterial populations in biology described by a generalized Keller-Segel model including an exclusion constraint in position space. They also describe colloids at a fluid interface driven by attractive capillary interactions when there is an excluded volume around the particles. Connexions with two-dimensional turbulence are also mentioned.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

Supernovae: an example of complexity in the physics of compressible fluids

The supernovae are typical complex phenomena in fluid mechanics with very different time scales. We describe them in the light of catastrophe theory, assuming that successive equilibria between pressure and gravity present a saddle-node bifurcation. In the early stage we show that the loss of equilibrium may be described by a generic equation of the Painlevé I form. In the final stage of the collapse, just before the divergence of the central density, we show that the existence of a self-similar collapsing solution compatible with the numerical observations imposes that the gravity forces are stronger than the pressure ones. This situation differs drastically in its principle from the one generally admitted where pressure and gravity forces are assumed to be of the same order. Our new self-similar solution (based on the hypothesis of dominant gravity forces) which matches the smooth solution of the outer core solution, agrees globally well with our numerical results. Whereas some differences with the earlier self-similar solutions are minor, others are very important. For example, we find that the velocity field becomes singular at the collapse time, diverging at the center, and decreasing slowly outside the core, whereas previous works described a finite velocity field in the core which tends to a supersonic constant value at large distances. This discrepancy should be important for explaining the emission of remnants in the post-collapse regime. Finally we describe the post-collapse dynamics, when mass begins to accumulate in the center, also within the hypothesis that gravity forces are dominant.

physics.flu-dyn↗

Initial value problem for the linearized mean field Kramers equation with long-range interactions

We solve the initial value problem for the linearized mean field Kramers equation describing Brownian particles with long-range interactions in the $N\rightarrow +\infty$ limit. We show that the dielectric function can be expressed in terms of incomplete Gamma functions. The dielectric functions associated with the linearized Vlasov equation and with the linearized mean field Smoluchowski equation are recovered as special cases corresponding to the no friction limit or to the strong friction limit respectively. Although the stability of the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution is independent on the friction parameter, the evolution of the perturbation depends on it in a non-trivial manner. For illustration, we apply our results to self-gravitating systems, plasmas, and to the attractive and repulsive BMF models.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗