Dielectric constant of graphene-on-polarized substrate: A tight-binding model study

By using the bifurcation theory of planar dynamical systems and the qualitative theory of differential equations, we studied the dynamical behaviours and exact travelling wave solutions of the modified generalized Vakhnenko equation (mGVE). As a result, we obtained all possible bifurcation parametric sets and many explicit formulas of smooth and non-smooth travelling waves such as cusped solitons, loop solitons, periodic cusp waves, pseudopeakon solitons, smooth periodic waves and smooth solitons. Moreover, we provided some numerical simulations of these solutions.     

Numerical analysis of the Eckhaus instability in travelling-wave convection in binary mixtures

The Eckhaus stability boundaries of travelling periodic roll patterns arising in binary fluid convection is analysed using high-resolution numerical methods. We present results corresponding to three different values of the separation ratio used in experiments. Our results show that the subcritical branches of travelling waves bifurcating at the onset of convection suffer sideband instabilities that are restabilised further away in the branch. If this restabilisation is produced after the turning point of the travelling-wave branch, these waves do not become stable in a saddle node bifurcation as would have been the case in a smaller domain. In the regions of instability of the uniform travelling waves we expect to find either transitions between states of different wave number or modulated travelling waves arising in these bifurcations.     

Traveling periodic waves of chemical activity

It is shown that within the manifold of exact solutions a system of reaction-diffusion equations admits only travelling waves with planar symmetry. A derivation of the generic form of approximate (asymptotic) cylindrical and spiral travelling periodic wave solutions is given. If an exact solution homogeneous in space and periodic in time is admitted by the system of reaction-diffusion equations, then travelling periodic spiral waves are admissble as approximate solutions. This is the theoretical explanation for the travelling periodic waves of chemical activity observed in recent experiments.     

Propagation of travelling waves in sub-excitable systems driven by noise and periodic forcing

It has been reported that traveling waves propagate periodically and stably in sub-excitable systems driven by noise [Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 138301 (2002)]. As a further investigation, here we observe different types of traveling waves under different noises and periodic forces, using a simplified Oregonator model. Depending on different noises and periodic forces, we have observed different types of wave propagation (or their disappearance). Moreover, reversal phenomena are observed in this system based on the numerical experiments in the one-dimensional space. We explain this as an effect of periodic forces. Thus, we give qualitative explanations for how stable reversal phenomena appear, which seem to arise from the mixing function of the periodic force and the noise. The output period and three velocities (normal, positive and negative) of the travelling waves are defined and their relationship with the periodic forces, along with the types of waves, are also studied in sub-excitable system under a fixed noise intensity. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary Online Material     

Microscopic calculation of the constitutive relations

Homogenization theory is used to calculate the macroscopic dielectric constant from the quantum microscopic dielectric function in a periodic medium. The method can be used to calculate any macroscopic constitutive relation, but it is illustrated here for the case of electrodynamics of matter. The so-called cell problem of homogenization theory is solved and an explicit expression is given for the macroscopic dielectric constant in a form akin to the Clausius-Mossotti or Lorentz-Lorenz relation. The validity of this expression is checked by showing that the standard formula is recovered for cubic materials and that the average of the microscopic energy density is the macroscopic one. Finally, the general expression is applied to Bloch eigenstates.     

Highly nonlinear solitary waves in heterogeneous periodic granular media

We use experiments, numerical simulations, and theoretical analysis to investigate the propagation of highly nonlinear solitary waves in periodic arrangements of dimer (two-mass) and trimer (three-mass) cell structures in one-dimensional granular lattices. To vary the composition of the fundamental periodic units in the granular chains, we utilize beads of different materials (stainless steel, brass, glass, nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene, and rubber). This selection allows us to tailor the response of the system based on the masses, Poisson ratios, and elastic moduli of the components. For example, we examine dimer configurations with two types of heavy particles, two types of light particles, and alternating light and heavy particles. Employing a model with Hertzian interactions between adjacent beads, we find good agreement between experiments and numerical simulations. We also find good agreement between these results and a theoretical analysis of the model in the long-wavelength regime that we derive for heterogeneous environments (dimer chains) and general bead interactions. Our analysis encompasses previously-studied examples as special cases and also provides key insights on the influence of heterogeneous lattices on the properties (width and propagation speed) of the nonlinear wave solutions of this system.     

Stoßbestimmte Relaxation des Elektronenensembles im Plasma bei zusätzlicher Aufheizung durch ein elektrisches Feld. III. Das periodische Verhalten der Elektronenkomponente im elektrischen Feld großen Modulationsgrades

Collision Dominated Relaxation of the Electron Ensemble in a Plasma with Additional Heating by an Electric Field. III. The Periodic Behaviour of the Electron Component in an Electric Field with a Large Modulation Amplitude With the aid of the non-stationary Boltzmann-equation the periodic behaviour of the isotropic part of the velocity distribution of electrons and thereby determined macroscopic quantities is calculated for periodic electric fields with large modulation amplitude. The investigations concern a weakly ionized column plasma in neon under typical low and medium pressure conditions. Based on the numerical results for typical ranges of field strength and cycle times of the electric field a qualitative physical interpretation for the periodic behaviour of the electron component is obtained. The introduction of special field-dependent adjustment times allows the formalution of conditions which characterize the case of quasi-stationary behaviour and also the case of small amplitudes of modulation in the macroscopic quantities determined by the isotropic distribution function. The periodic states between these two limiting cases can be interpreted as due to two competing processes. The first one is the energy input controlled by the electric field and the second one is the energy loss in binary collisions of the electrons with the atoms.     

Analyse de la conduction de la chaleur aux temps ultra-courts dans un solide par la thermodynamique irréversible étendue et la dynamique moléculaire

Instantaneous heat propagation and thermodynamic local equilibrium cannot be assumed when solving space and time microscale problems. Therefore, we reconsider the thermodynamics basis of the Fourier law in order to obtain the new heat conduction models: the hyperbolic heat equation (EH) and the modified hyperbolic equation (EHM). We have performed molecular dynamics (DM) experiments which are independent of any thermodynamic model, to test the macroscopic approaches. We show that the solutions of the EH and the EHM do not agree with the numerical experiments and that the MD results are strongly dependent on the way from which the macroscopic conditions are simulated in the microscopic point of view.     

Quasistatic rheology and the origins of strain

Features of rheological laws applied to solid-like granular materials are recalled and confronted to microscopic approaches via discrete numerical simulations. We give examples of model systems with very similar equilibrium stress transport properties—the much-studied force chains and force distribution—but qualitatively different strain responses to stress increments. Results on the stability of elastoplastic contact networks lead to the definition of two different rheological regimes, according to whether a macroscopic fragility property (propensity to rearrange under arbitrary small stress increments in the thermodynamic limit) applies. Possible consequences are discussed. To cite this article: J.-N. Roux, G. Combe, C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 131–140.     

Transport properties of a 2DEG in the presence of tilted magnetic field: the influence of a 1D modulation

The effect of 1D periodic modulation on the transport and thermodynamic properties of a non-interacting two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is investigated. The Hamiltonian used also includes a tilted magnetic field, Rashba, and Dresselhauss spin-orbit interactions. The 1D periodic modulation introduces non-quantized regions on Hall conductivity and a non-zero diffusive conductivity. A method to estimate the modulation periodicity is given using the periodicity of Weiss oscillations on the diffusive conductivity.     

Instabilities in threshold-diffusion equations with delay

The introduction of delays into ordinary or partial differential equation models is well known to facilitate the production of rich dynamics, ranging from periodic solutions through to spatio-temporal chaos. In this paper, we consider a class of scalar partial differential equations with a delayed threshold nonlinearity which admits exact solutions for equilibria, periodic orbits and travelling waves. Importantly, we show how the spectra of periodic and travelling wave solutions can be determined in terms of the zeros of a complex analytic function. Using this as a computational tool to determine stability, we show that delays can have very different effects on threshold systems with negative as opposed to positive feedback. Direct numerical simulations are used to confirm our bifurcation analysis, and to probe some of the rich behaviour possible for mixed feedback.     

Spectral stability of periodic waves in the generalized reduced Ostrovsky equation

We consider stability of periodic travelling waves in the generalized reduced Ostrovsky equation with respect to co-periodic perturbations. Compared to the recent literature, we give a simple argument that proves spectral stability of all smooth periodic travelling waves independent of the nonlinearity power. The argument is based on the energy convexity and does not use coordinate transformations of the reduced Ostrovsky equations to the semi-linear equations of the Klein–Gordon type.     

Quantum computer inverting time arrow for macroscopic systems

Since Boltzmann developed the statistical theory for macroscopic thermodynamics the question has relentlessly been put forward of how time-reversibility at microscopic level is compatible with macroscopic irreversibility. Here we show that a quantum computer can efficiently simulate a macroscopic thermodynamic process with chaotic microscopic dynamics and invert the time arrow even in presence of quantum errors. In contrast, small errors in classical computer simulation of this dynamics grow exponentially with time and rapidly destroy time-reversibility. Received 31 October 2001