The characteristic exponents of the falling ball model

We study the characteristic exponents of the Hamiltonian system of $n$ ($\ge 2$) point masses $m_1,\dots,m_n$ freely falling in the vertical half line $\{q|\, q\ge 0\}$ under constant gravitation and colliding with each other and the solid floor $q=0$ elastically. This model was introduced and first studied by M. Wojtkowski. Hereby we prove his conjecture: All relevant characteristic (Lyapunov) exponents of the above dynamical system are nonzero, provided that $m_1\ge\dots\ge m_n$ (i. e. the masses do not increase as we go up) and $m_1\ne m_2$

Counting Berg partitions

We call a Markov partition of a two dimensional hyperbolic toral automorphism a Berg partition if it contains just two rectangles. We describe all Berg partitions for a given hyperbolic toral automorphism. In particular there are exactly (k + n + l + m)/2 nonequivalent Berg partitions with the same connectivity matrix (k, l, m, n)

Well-posed infinite horizon variational problems on a compact manifold

We give an effective sufficient condition for a variational problem with infinite horizon on a compact Riemannian manifold M to admit a smooth optimal synthesis, i. e. a smooth dynamical system on M whose positive semi-trajectories are solutions to the problem. To realize the synthesis we construct a well-projected to M invariant Lagrange submanifold of the extremals' flow in the cotangent bundle T*M. The construction uses the curvature of the flow in the cotangent bundle and some ideas of hyperbolic dynamics

Track billiards

We study a class of planar billiards having the remarkable property that their phase space consists up to a set of zero measure of two invariant sets formed by orbits moving in opposite directions. The tables of these billiards are tubular neighborhoods of differentiable Jordan curves that are unions of finitely many segments and arcs of circles. We prove that under proper conditions on the segments and the arcs, the billiards considered have non-zero Lyapunov exponents almost everywhere. These results are then extended to a similar class of of 3-dimensional billiards. Finally, we find that for some subclasses of track billiards, the mechanism generating hyperbolicity is not the defocusing one that requires every infinitesimal beam of parallel rays to defocus after every reflection off of the focusing boundary.Comment: 7 figure

Fluctuation Theorem, non linear response and the regularity of time reversal symmetry

The Gallavotti - Cohen Fluctuation Theorem (FT) implies an infinite set of identities between correlation functions that can be seen as a generalization of Green Kubo formula to the nonlinear regime. As an application, we discuss a perturbative check of the FT relation through these identities for a simple Anosov reversible system; we find that the lack of differentiability of the time reversal symmetry implies a violation of the Gallavotti - Cohen fluctuation relation. Finally, a brief comparison with Lebowitz - Spohn FT is reported.Comment: 7 page

Hyperbolic outer billiards : a first example

We present the first example of a hyperbolic outer billiard. More precisely we construct a one parameter family of examples which in some sense correspond to the Bunimovich billiards.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Nonlinearit

Acceleration of bouncing balls in external fields

We introduce two models, the Fermi-Ulam model in an external field and a one dimensional system of bouncing balls in an external field above a periodically oscillating plate. For both models we investigate the possibility of unbounded motion. In a special case the two models are equivalent

Classification of biological micro-objects using optical coherence tomography: in silico study

We report on the development of a technique for differentiating between biological micro-objects using a rigorous, full-wave model of OCT image formation. We model an existing experimental prototype which uses OCT to interrogate a microfluidic chip containing the blood cells. A full-wave model is required since the technique uses light back-scattered by a scattering substrate, rather than by the cells directly. The light back-scattered by the substrate is perturbed upon propagation through the cells, which flow between the substrate and imaging system’s objective lens. We present the key elements of the 3D, Maxwell equation-based computational model, the key findings of the computational study and a comparison with experimental results

Entropy production in Gaussian thermostats

We show that an arbitrary Anosov Gaussian thermostat on a surface is dissipative unless the external field has a global potential

Linear stability in billiards with potential

A general formula for the linearized Poincar\'e map of a billiard with a potential is derived. The stability of periodic orbits is given by the trace of a product of matrices describing the piecewise free motion between reflections and the contributions from the reflections alone. For the case without potential this gives well known formulas. Four billiards with potentials for which the free motion is integrable are treated as examples: The linear gravitational potential, the constant magnetic field, the harmonic potential, and a billiard in a rotating frame of reference, imitating the restricted three body problem. The linear stability of periodic orbits with period one and two is analyzed with the help of stability diagrams, showing the essential parameter dependence of the residue of the periodic orbits for these examples.Comment: 22 pages, LaTex, 4 Figure