The Incompressible Euler Limit of the Boltzmann Equation with Accommodation Boundary Condition

The convergence of solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations set in a domain with boundary to solutions of the Euler equations in the large Reynolds number limit is a challenging open problem both in 2 and 3 space dimensions. In particular it is distinct from the question of existence in the large of a smooth solution of the initial-boundary value problem for the Euler equations. The present paper proposes three results in that direction. First, if the solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations satisfy a slip boundary condition with vanishing slip coefficient in the large Reynolds number limit, we show by an energy method that they converge to the classical solution of the Euler equations on its time interval of existence. Next we show that the incompressible Navier-Stokes limit of the Boltzmann equation with Maxwell's accommodation condition at the boundary is governed by the Navier-Stokes equations with slip boundary condition, and we express the slip coefficient at the fluid level in terms of the accommodation parameter at the kinetic level. This second result is formal, in the style of [Bardos-Golse-Levermore, J. Stat. Phys. 63 (1991), 323-344]. Finally, we establish the incompressible Euler limit of the Boltzmann equation set in a domain with boundary with Maxwell's accommodation condition assuming that the accommodation parameter is small enough in terms of the Knudsen number. Our proof uses the relative entropy method following closely the analysis in [L. Saint-Raymond, Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 166 (2003), 47-80] in the case of the 3-torus, except for the boundary terms, which require special treatment.Comment: 40 page

Photoferroelectric oxides

Giant photovoltaic effect due to bulk photovoltaic effect observed in multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films has triggered a renewed interest on photoferroelectric materials for photovoltaic applications. Tremendous advance has been done to improve power conversion efficiency (up to up to 8.1%) in photoferroelectrics via absorption increase using narrow bandgap ferroelectrics. Other strategies, as it is the more efficient use of ferroelectric internal electric field, are ongoing. Moreover, as a by-product, several progress have been also achieved on photostriction that is the photo-induced deformation phenomenon. Here, we review ongoing and promising routes to improve ferroelectrics photoresponse

Entropy production and multiple equilibria: the case of the ice-albedo feedback

Nonlinear feedbacks in the Earth System provide mechanisms that can prove very useful in understanding complex dynamics with relatively simple concepts. For example, the temperature and the ice cover of the planet are linked in a positive feedback which gives birth to multiple equilibria for some values of the solar constant: fully ice-covered Earth, ice-free Earth and an intermediate unstable solution. In this study, we show an analogy between a classical dynamical system approach to this problem and a Maximum Entropy Production (MEP) principle view, and we suggest a glimpse on how to reconcile MEP with the time evolution of a variable. It enables us in particular to resolve the question of the stability of the entropy production maxima. We also compare the surface heat flux obtained with MEP and with the bulk-aerodynamic formula.Comment: 29 pages, 12 figure

Statistical optimization for passive scalar transport: maximum entropy production vs maximum Kolmogorov-Sinay entropy

We derive rigorous results on the link between the principle of maximum entropy production and the principle of maximum Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy using a Markov model of the passive scalar diffusion called the Zero Range Process. We show analytically that both the entropy production and the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy seen as functions of f admit a unique maximum denoted fmaxEP and fmaxKS. The behavior of these two maxima is explored as a function of the system disequilibrium and the system resolution N. The main result of this article is that fmaxEP and fmaxKS have the same Taylor expansion at _rst order in the deviation of equilibrium. We find that fmaxEP hardly depends on N whereas fmaxKS depends strongly on N. In particular, for a fixed difference of potential between the reservoirs, fmaxEP (N) tends towards a non-zero value, while fmaxKS (N) tends to 0 when N goes to infinity. For values of N typical of that adopted by Paltridge and climatologists we show that fmaxEP and fmaxKS coincide even far from equilibrium. Finally, we show that one can find an optimal resolution N_ such that fmaxEP and fmaxKS coincide, at least up to a second order parameter proportional to the non-equilibrium uxes imposed to the boundaries.Comment: Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics (2015

Phase transitions and marginal ensemble equivalence for freely evolving flows on a rotating sphere

The large-scale circulation of planetary atmospheres like that of the Earth is traditionally thought of in a dynamical framework. Here, we apply the statistical mechanics theory of turbulent flows to a simplified model of the global atmosphere, the quasi-geostrophic model, leading to non-trivial equilibria. Depending on a few global parameters, the structure of the flow may be either a solid-body rotation (zonal flow) or a dipole. A second order phase transition occurs between these two phases, with associated spontaneous symmetry-breaking in the dipole phase. This model allows us to go beyond the general theory of marginal ensemble equivalence through the notion of Goldstone modes.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures; accepted for publication in Physical Review