3 research outputs found
A dynamical classification of the range of pair interactions
We formalize a classification of pair interactions based on the convergence
properties of the {\it forces} acting on particles as a function of system
size. We do so by considering the behavior of the probability distribution
function (PDF) P(F) of the force field F in a particle distribution in the
limit that the size of the system is taken to infinity at constant particle
density, i.e., in the "usual" thermodynamic limit. For a pair interaction
potential V(r) with V(r) \rightarrow \infty) \sim 1/r^a defining a {\it
bounded} pair force, we show that P(F) converges continuously to a well-defined
and rapidly decreasing PDF if and only if the {\it pair force} is absolutely
integrable, i.e., for a > d-1, where d is the spatial dimension. We refer to
this case as {\it dynamically short-range}, because the dominant contribution
to the force on a typical particle in this limit arises from particles in a
finite neighborhood around it. For the {\it dynamically long-range} case, i.e.,
a \leq d-1, on the other hand, the dominant contribution to the force comes
from the mean field due to the bulk, which becomes undefined in this limit. We
discuss also how, for a \leq d-1 (and notably, for the case of gravity, a=d-2)
P(F) may, in some cases, be defined in a weaker sense. This involves a
regularization of the force summation which is generalization of the procedure
employed to define gravitational forces in an infinite static homogeneous
universe. We explain that the relevant classification in this context is,
however, that which divides pair forces with a > d-2 (or a < d-2), for which
the PDF of the {\it difference in forces} is defined (or not defined) in the
infinite system limit, without any regularization. In the former case dynamics
can, as for the (marginal) case of gravity, be defined consistently in an
infinite uniform system.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure; significantly shortened and focussed, additional
references, version to appear in J. Stat. Phy
Equilibrium and dynamical properties of two dimensional self-gravitating systems
A system of N classical particles in a 2D periodic cell interacting via
long-range attractive potential is studied. For low energy density a
collapsed phase is identified, while in the high energy limit the particles are
homogeneously distributed. A phase transition from the collapsed to the
homogeneous state occurs at critical energy U_c. A theoretical analysis within
the canonical ensemble identifies such a transition as first order. But
microcanonical simulations reveal a negative specific heat regime near .
The dynamical behaviour of the system is affected by this transition : below
U_c anomalous diffusion is observed, while for U > U_c the motion of the
particles is almost ballistic. In the collapsed phase, finite -effects act
like a noise source of variance O(1/N), that restores normal diffusion on a
time scale diverging with N. As a consequence, the asymptotic diffusion
coefficient will also diverge algebraically with N and superdiffusion will be
observable at any time in the limit N \to \infty. A Lyapunov analysis reveals
that for U > U_c the maximal exponent \lambda decreases proportionally to
N^{-1/3} and vanishes in the mean-field limit. For sufficiently small energy,
in spite of a clear non ergodicity of the system, a common scaling law \lambda
\propto U^{1/2} is observed for any initial conditions.Comment: 17 pages, Revtex - 15 PS Figs - Subimitted to Physical Review E - Two
column version with included figures : less paper waste
Statistics of the gravitational force in various dimensions of space: from Gaussian to Levy laws
We discuss the distribution of the gravitational force created by a
Poissonian distribution of field sources (stars, galaxies,...) in different
dimensions of space d. In d=3, it is given by a Levy law called the Holtsmark
distribution. It presents an algebraic tail for large fluctuations due to the
contribution of the nearest neighbor. In d=2, it is given by a marginal
Gaussian distribution intermediate between Gaussian and Levy laws. In d=1, it
is exactly given by the Bernouilli distribution (for any particle number N)
which becomes Gaussian for N>>1. Therefore, the dimension d=2 is critical
regarding the statistics of the gravitational force. We generalize these
results for inhomogeneous systems with arbitrary power-law density profile and
arbitrary power-law force in a d-dimensional universe