Fractional generalization of the Ginzburg-Landau equation: An unconventional approach to critical phenomena in complex media

Equations built on fractional derivatives prove to be a powerful tool in the description of complex systems when the effects of singularity, fractal supports, and long-range dependence play a role. In this paper, we advocate an application of the fractional derivative formalism to a fairly general class of critical phenomena when the organization of the system near the phase transition point is influenced by a competing nonlocal ordering. Fractional modifications of the free energy functional at criticality and of the widely known Ginzburg-Landau equation central to the classical Landau theory of second-type phase transitions are discussed in some detail. An implication of the fractional Ginzburg-Landau equation is a renormalization of the transition temperature owing to the nonlocality present.Comment: 10 pages, improved content, submitted for publication to Phys. Lett.

L\'evy flights on a comb and the plasma staircase

We formulate the problem of confined L\'evy flight on a comb. The comb represents a sawtooth-like potential field $V(x)$, with the asymmetric teeth favoring net transport in a preferred direction. The shape effect is modeled as a power-law dependence $V(x) \propto |\Delta x|^n$ within the sawtooth period, followed by an abrupt drop-off to zero, after which the initial power-law dependence is reset. It is found that the L\'evy flights will be confined in the sense of generalized central limit theorem if (i) the spacing between the teeth is sufficiently broad, and (ii) $n > 4-\mu$, where $\mu$ is the fractal dimension of the flights. In particular, for the Cauchy flights ($\mu = 1$), $n>3$. The study is motivated by recent observations of localization-delocalization of transport avalanches in banded flows in the Tore Supra tokamak and is intended to devise a theory basis to explain the observed phenomenology.Comment: 13 pages; 3 figures; accepted for publication in Physical Review

Stretched exponential relaxation and ac universality in disordered dielectrics

This paper is concerned with the connection between the properties of dielectric relaxation and ac (alternating-current) conduction in disordered dielectrics. The discussion is divided between the classical linear-response theory and a self-consistent dynamical modeling. The key issues are, stretched exponential character of dielectric relaxation, power-law power spectral density, and anomalous dependence of ac conduction coefficient on frequency. We propose a self-consistent model of dielectric relaxation, in which the relaxations are described by a stretched exponential decay function. Mathematically, our study refers to the expanding area of fractional calculus and we propose a systematic derivation of the fractional relaxation and fractional diffusion equations from the property of ac universality.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

On conformal Jordan cells of finite and infinite rank

This work concerns in part the construction of conformal Jordan cells of infinite rank and their reductions to conformal Jordan cells of finite rank. It is also discussed how a procedure similar to Lie algebra contractions may reduce a conformal Jordan cell of finite rank to one of lower rank. A conformal Jordan cell of rank one corresponds to a primary field. This offers a picture in which any finite conformal Jordan cell of a given conformal weight may be obtained from a universal covering cell of the same weight but infinite rank.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, v2: typo corrected, comments added, version to be publishe

E-pile model of self-organized criticality

The concept of percolation is combined with a self-consistent treatment of the interaction between the dynamics on a lattice and the external drive. Such a treatment can provide a mechanism by which the system evolves to criticality without fine tuning, thus offering a route to self-organized criticality (SOC) which in many cases is more natural than the weak random drive combined with boundary loss/dissipation as used in standard sand-pile formulations. We introduce a new metaphor, the e-pile model, and a formalism for electric conduction in random media to compute critical exponents for such a system. Variations of the model apply to a number of other physical problems, such as electric plasma discharges, dielectric relaxation, and the dynamics of the Earth's magnetotail.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Bursts in discontinuous Aeolian saltation

Close to the onset of Aeolian particle transport through saltation we find in wind tunnel experiments a regime of discontinuous flux characterized by bursts of activity. Scaling laws are observed in the time delay between each burst and in the measurements of the wind fluctuations at the fluid threshold Shields number $\theta_c$. The time delay between each burst decreases on average with the increase of the Shields number until sand flux becomes continuous. A numerical model for saltation including the wind-entrainment from the turbulent fluctuations can reproduce these observations and gives insight about their origin. We present here also for the first time measurements showing that with feeding it becomes possible to sustain discontinuous flux even below the fluid threshold