Field induced stationary state for an accelerated tracer in a bath

Our interest goes to the behavior of a tracer particle, accelerated by a constant and uniform external field, when the energy injected by the field is redistributed through collision to a bath of unaccelerated particles. A non equilibrium steady state is thereby reached. Solutions of a generalized Boltzmann-Lorentz equation are analyzed analytically, in a versatile framework that embeds the majority of tracer-bath interactions discussed in the literature. These results --mostly derived for a one dimensional system-- are successfully confronted to those of three independent numerical simulation methods: a direct iterative solution, Gillespie algorithm, and the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo technique. We work out the diffusion properties as well as the velocity tails: large v, and either large -v, or v in the vicinity of its lower cutoff whenever the velocity distribution is bounded from below. Particular emphasis is put on the cold bath limit, with scatterers at rest, which plays a special role in our model.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures v3:minor corrections in sec.III and added reference

Search for universality in one-dimensional ballistic annihilation kinetics

We study the kinetics of ballistic annihilation for a one-dimensional ideal gas with continuous velocity distribution. A dynamical scaling theory for the long time behavior of the system is derived. Its validity is supported by extensive numerical simulations for several velocity distributions. This leads us to the conjecture that all the continuous velocity distributions \phi(v) which are symmetric, regular and such that \phi(0) does not vanish, are attracted in the long time regime towards the same Gaussian distribution and thus belong to the same universality class. Moreover, it is found that the particle density decays as n(t)~t^{-\alpha}, with \alpha=0.785 +/- 0.005.Comment: 8 pages, needs multicol, epsf and revtex. 8 postscript figures included. Submitted to Phys. Rev. E. Also avaiable at http://mykonos.unige.ch/~rey/publi.html#Secon

Kinetics of ballistic annihilation and branching

We consider a one-dimensional model consisting of an assembly of two-velocity particles moving freely between collisions. When two particles meet, they instantaneously annihilate each other and disappear from the system. Moreover each moving particle can spontaneously generate an offspring having the same velocity as its mother with probability 1-q. This model is solved analytically in mean-field approximation and studied by numerical simulations. It is found that for q=1/2 the system exhibits a dynamical phase transition. For q<1/2, the slow dynamics of the system is governed by the coarsening of clusters of particles having the same velocities, while for q>1/2 the system relaxes rapidly towards its stationary state characterized by a distribution of small cluster sizes.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, uses multicol, epic, eepic and eepicemu. Also avaiable at http://mykonos.unige.ch/~rey/pubt.htm

On-Orbit Validation of a Framework for Spacecraft-Initiated Communication Service Requests with NASA's SCaN Testbed

We design, analyze, and experimentally validate a framework for demand-based allocation of high-performance space communication service in which the user spacecraft itself initiates a request for service. Leveraging machine-to-machine communications, the automated process has potential to improve the responsiveness and efficiency of space network operations. We propose an augmented ground station architecture in which a hemispherical-pattern antenna allows for reception of service requests sent from any user spacecraft within view. A suite of ground-based automation software acts upon these direct-to-Earth requests and allocates access to high-performance service through a ground station or relay satellite in response to immediate user demand. A software-defined radio transceiver, optimized for reception of weak signals from the helical antenna, is presented. Design and testing of signal processing equipment and a software framework to handle service requests is discussed. Preliminary results from on-orbit demonstrations with a testbed onboard the International Space Station are presented to verify feasibility of the concept

Effective conductivity in association with model structure and spatial inhomogeneity of polymer/carbon black composites

The relationship between effective conductivity and cell structure of polyethylene/carbon composites as well as between effective conductivity and spatial distribution of carbon black are discussed. Following Yoshida's model both structures can, in a way, be said to be intermediate between the well known Maxwell-Garnett (MG) and Bruggeman (BR) limiting structures. Using TEM photographs on composites with various carbon blacks we have observed that the larger is Garncarek's inhomogeneity measure H of two-dimensional (2D) representative distribution of the carbon black, the smaller is the effective conductivity of the composite.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figure

The Reaction Process A+A->O in Sinai Disorder

The single-species reaction-diffusion process $A+A\to O$ is examined in the presence of an uncorrelated, quenched random velocity field. Utilising a field-theoretic approach, we find that in two dimensions and below the density decay is altered from the case of purely diffusing reactants. In two-dimensions the density amplitude is reduced in the presence of weak disorder, yielding the interesting result that Sinai disorder can cause reactions to occur at an {\it increased} rate. This is in contrast to the case of long-range correlated disorder, where it was shown that the reaction becomes sub-diffusion limited. However, when written in terms of the microscopic diffusion constant it is seen that increasing the disorder has the effect of reducing the rate of the reaction. Below two dimensions, the effect of Sinai disorder is much more severe and the reaction is shown to become sub-diffusion limited. Although there is no universal amplitude for the time-dependence of the density, it is universal when expressed in terms of the disorder-averaged diffusion length. The appropriate amplitude is calculated to one-loop order.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Casimir force induced by imperfect Bose gas

We present a study of the Casimir effect in an imperfect (mean-field) Bose gas contained between two infinite parallel plane walls. The derivation of the Casimir force follows from the calculation of the excess grand canonical free energy density under periodic, Dirichlet, and Neumann boundary conditions with the use of the steepest descent method. In the one-phase region the force decays exponentially fast when distance $D$ between the walls tends to infinity. When Bose-Einstein condensation point is approached the decay length in the exponential law diverges with critical exponent $\nu_{IMP}=1$, which differs from the perfect gas case where $\nu_{P}=1/2$. In the two-phase region the Casimir force is long-range, and decays following the power law $D^{-3}$, with the same amplitude as in the perfect gas

Exact solution of the one-dimensional ballistic aggregation

An exact expression for the mass distribution $\rho(M,t)$ of the ballistic aggregation model in one dimension is derived in the long time regime. It is shown that it obeys scaling $\rho(M,t)=t^{-4/3}F(M/t^{2/3})$ with a scaling function $F(z)\sim z^{-1/2}$ for $z\ll 1$ and $F(z)\sim \exp(-z^3/12)$ for $z\gg 1$. Relevance of these results to Burgers turbulence is discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 2 Postscript figure

Exact Solution of Two-Species Ballistic Annihilation with General Pair-Reaction Probability

The reaction process $A+B->C$ is modelled for ballistic reactants on an infinite line with particle velocities $v_A=c$ and $v_B=-c$ and initially segregated conditions, i.e. all A particles to the left and all B particles to the right of the origin. Previous, models of ballistic annihilation have particles that always react on contact, i.e. pair-reaction probability $p=1$. The evolution of such systems are wholly determined by the initial distribution of particles and therefore do not have a stochastic dynamics. However, in this paper the generalisation is made to $p<1$, allowing particles to pass through each other without necessarily reacting. In this way, the A and B particle domains overlap to form a fluctuating, finite-sized reaction zone where the product C is created. Fluctuations are also included in the currents of A and B particles entering the overlap region, thereby inducing a stochastic motion of the reaction zone as a whole. These two types of fluctuations, in the reactions and particle currents, are characterised by the `intrinsic reaction rate', seen in a single system, and the `extrinsic reaction rate', seen in an average over many systems. The intrinsic and extrinsic behaviours are examined and compared to the case of isotropically diffusing reactants.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figures, typos correcte

Velocity Correlations, Diffusion and Stochasticity in a One-Dimensional System

We consider the motion of a test particle in a one-dimensional system of equal-mass point particles. The test particle plays the role of a microscopic "piston" that separates two hard-point gases with different concentrations and arbitrary initial velocity distributions. In the homogeneous case when the gases on either side of the piston are in the same macroscopic state, we compute and analyze the stationary velocity autocorrelation function C(t). Explicit expressions are obtained for certain typical velocity distributions, serving to elucidate in particular the asymptotic behavior of C(t). It is shown that the occurrence of a non-vanishing probability mass at zero velocity is necessary for the occurrence of a long-time tail in C(t). The conditions under which this is a $t^{-3}$ tail are determined. Turning to the inhomogeneous system with different macroscopic states on either side of the piston, we determine its effective diffusion coefficient from the asymptotic behavior of the variance of its position, as well as the leading behavior of the other moments about the mean. Finally, we present an interpretation of the effective noise arising from the dynamics of the two gases, and thence that of the stochastic process to which the position of any particle in the system reduces in the thermodynamic limit.Comment: 22 files, 2 eps figures. Submitted to PR