Thierry Gourieux | Searcharxiv

arXiv2020

On the interplay between Noether's theorem and the theory of adiabatic invariants

This article focuses on an important quantity that will be called the Rund-Trautman function. It already plays a central role in Noether's theorem since its vanishing characterizes a symmetry and leads to a conservation law. The main aim of the paper is to show how, in the realm of classical mechanics, an 'almost' vanishing Rund-Trautman function accompanying an 'almost' symmetry leads to an 'almost' constant of motion within the adiabatic assumption, that is, to an adiabatic invariant. To this end, the Rund-Trautman function is first introduced and analysed in detail, then it is implemented for the general one-dimensional problem. Finally, its relevance in the adiabatic context is examined through the example of the harmonic oscillator with a slowly varying frequency. Notably, for some frequency profiles, explicit expansions of adiabatic invariants are derived through it and an illustrative numerical test is realized.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2015

Classical Noether's theory with application to the linearly damped particle

This paper provides a modern presentation of Noether's theory in the realm of classical dynamics, with application to the problem of a particle submitted to both a potential and a linear dissipation. After a review of the close relationships between Noether symmetries and first integrals, we investigate the variational point symmetries of the Lagrangian introduced by Bateman, Caldirola and Kanai. This analysis leads to the determination of all the time-independent potentials allowing such symmetries, in the one-dimensional and the radial cases. Then we develop a symmetry-based transformation of Lagrangians into autonomous others, and apply it to our problem. To be complete, we enlarge the study to Lie point symmetries which we associate logically to Noether ones. Finally, we succinctly address the issue of a `weakened' Noether's theory, in connection with on-flows symmetries and non-local constant of motions, for it has a direct physical interpretation in our specific problem. Since the Lagrangian we use gives rise to simple calculations, we hope that this work will be of didactic interest to graduate students, and give teaching material as well as food for thought for physicists regarding Noether's theory and the recent developments around the idea of symmetry in classical mechanics.

math-ph↗