Memory Effects in the Fermi–Pasta–Ulam Model

in Journal of Statistical Physics (2019), 174(1), 219-257

We study the intermediate scattering function (ISF) of the strongly-nonlinear Fermi–Pasta–Ulam Model at thermal equilibrium, using both numerical and analytical methods. From the molecular dynamics ... [more ▼]

We study the intermediate scattering function (ISF) of the strongly-nonlinear Fermi–Pasta–Ulam Model at thermal equilibrium, using both numerical and analytical methods. From the molecular dynamics simulations we distinguish two limit regimes, as the system behaves as an ideal gas at high temperature and as a harmonic chain for low excitations. At intermediate temperatures the ISF relaxes to equilibrium in a nontrivial fashion. We then calculate analytically the Taylor coefficients of the ISF to arbitrarily high orders (the specific, simple shape of the two-body interaction allows us to derive an iterative scheme for these). The results of the recursion are in good agreement with the numerical ones. Via an estimate of the complete series expansion of the scattering function, we can reconstruct within a certain temperature range its coarse-grained dynamics. This is governed by a memory-dependent Generalized Langevin Equation (GLE), which can be derived via projection operator techniques. Moreover, by analyzing the first series coefficients of the ISF, we can extract a parameter associated to the strength of the memory effects in the dynamics. [less ▲]

Lattice models for granular-like velocity fields: hydrodynamic description

in Journal of Statistical Physics (2016)

A recently introduced model describing—on a 1d lattice—the velocity field of a granular fluid is discussed in detail. The dynamics of the velocity field occurs through next-neighbours inelastic collisions ... [more ▼]

A recently introduced model describing—on a 1d lattice—the velocity field of a granular fluid is discussed in detail. The dynamics of the velocity field occurs through next-neighbours inelastic collisions which conserve momentum but dissipate energy. The dynamics is described through the corresponding Master Equation for the time evolution of the probability distribution. In the continuum limit, equations for the average velocity and temperature fields with fluctuating currents are derived, which are analogous to hydrodynamic equations of granular fluids when restricted to the shear modes. Therefore, the homogeneous cooling state, with its linear instability, and other relevant regimes such as the uniform shear flow and the Couette flow states are described. The evolution in time and space of the single particle probability distribution, in all those regimes, is also discussed, showing that the local equilibrium is not valid in general. The noise for the momentum and energy currents, which are correlated, are white and Gaussian. The same is true for the noise of the energy sink, which is usually negligible [less ▲]