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Memory and microhistory of an Empire: domestic contexts in Roman Amheida, Egypt
Simulating a one-dimensional plasma
We describe a dynamical model of a one-dimensional plasma and present a simple algorithm for simulating the model on a computer. We use the algorithm to perform several numerical experiments that illustrate collective effects in plasma physics such as Debye screening and plasma
oscillations
Time asymmetry in a dynamical model of the one-dimensional ideal gas
We present a simple dynamical model of the one-dimensional ideal gas and show how it can be used to introduce a number of fundamental ideas in statistical mechanics. We use the model to illustrate the role of initial conditions in explaining time asymmetry and show that although the dynamical model is time-reversal invariant, the macroscopic behavior of the gas can be time-asymmetric if the initial conditions are chosen properly
A toy model of electrodynamics in (1 + 1) dimensions
A model is presented that describes a scalar field interacting with a point particle in (1+1) dimensions. The model exhibits many of the same phenomena that appear in classical electrodynamics, such as radiation and radiation damping, yet has a much simpler mathematical structure. By studying these phenomena in a highly simplified model, the physical concepts involved may be more easily understood
Quantum field theory in (0 + 1) dimensions
We show that many of the key ideas of quantum field theory can be illustrated simply and straightforwardly by using toy models in (0 + 1) dimensions. Because quantum field theory in (0 + 1) dimensions is equivalent to quantum mechanics, these models allow us to use techniques from quantum mechanics to gain insight into quantum field theory. In addition, working in (0 + 1) dimensions considerably simplifies the mathematics, allowing the physical concepts involved to be exhibited more clearly
Laserlike and atomlike regimes in a one-atom laser
We consider a three-level model of a one-atom laser, and show that there are two limiting regimes of parameter space, one in which the system behaves like a conventional laser and one in which the system exhibits novel quantum properties. We show that in the first limiting regime, the model can be approximated by semiclassical laser theory, and in the second limiting regime the model can be approximated as an effective two-level atom. We also perform numerical simulations that confirm the limiting behaviors predicted by these approximate descriptions
The momentum distribution of a one-dimensional ideal gas of N atoms
We calculate the average momentum distribution and the average deviation from this distribution for
a one-dimensional ideal gas of N atoms. The calculation is performed using analytical and numerical
methods, and the results obtained using the two methods are compared.We use these results to show
that in the limit of large N, almost all the possible microstates of an ideal gas have momentum
distributions that are very close to the Maxwell distribution. We discuss the significance of this fact
for understanding why an ideal gas approaches thermal equilibrium
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