Collision frequency of Lennard-Jones fluids at high densities by equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation

Detailed classical molecular dynamics simulation of transport coefficients and collision frequencies at high densities in rare gases are presented in this paper with a view to investigate the likely cause of discrepancy between theory and experiments. The results, when compared with experiments, showed an underestimation of the viscosity calculated through the Green-Kubo formalism, but the results are in agreement with some other calculations performed by other groups. The origin of the underestimation was considered in the present work. Analyses of the transport coefficients showed a very high collision frequency which suggested that an atom might spend much less time in the neighbourhood of the fields of force of another atom. The distribution of atoms in the systems adjusts itself to a nearly Maxwellian type that resulted in a locally and temporarily slowly varying temperature. We showed that during collision, the time spent by an atom in the fields of force of other atoms is so small compared with its relaxation time, leading to a possible reduction in local velocity autocorrelation between atoms.     

Electron distribution function relaxation in monatomic gases

The authors discuss an analytic solution of the Boltzmann equation which describes the relaxation in time of the electron distribution function for electrons in a plasma derived from the monatomic gases He, Ne, Ar, and Xe. It is assumed that there are no perturbing forces on the electrons and that at t=0 they have a Maxwellian distribution function corresponding to an average energy of 2 eV. The electrons then lose energy through elastic collisions with neutrals and eventually energy-equilibrate with the neutrals, which are assumed to be cold. The evolution of the electron distribution function in time and velocity space is calculated for each gas. This model is approximately correct for the afterglow period of an electrical discharge in a monatomic gas. It is possible to calculate a time which is a measure of the decay time of the electron energy in an afterglow plasma     

Influence of electron energy distribution on helium recombining plasma diagnostics using line emissions

The influence of electron energy distribution on helium recombining plasma diagnostics is investigated using a helium collisional‐radiative model. The population densities of excited helium atoms are calculated for Maxwellian and non‐Maxwellian distribution plasma cases. In the case of the Maxwellian distribution plasma, the electron temperature and electron density determined by the Boltzmann plot method agree well with the input plasma parameters. On the other hand, it is indicated that the electron temperature and electron density are significantly underestimated in the bi‐Maxwellian distribution plasma case, even though the density of the hot electron components is three orders smaller than that of the bulk electrons. This result indicates that in a non‐Maxwellian helium recombining plasma, evaluation of the particle balance based on line emissions from excited helium atoms would be difficult because the reaction rate of atomic and molecular processes is strongly dependent on the electron temperature and density.     

Numerical simulation of exciton dynamics in Cu(2)O at ultra-low temperatures within a potential trap

We have studied theoretically the relaxation behaviour of excitons in cuprous oxide (Cu(2)O) at ultra-low temperatures when excitons are confined within a potential trap by solving numerically the Boltzmann equation. As relaxation processes, we have included in this paper deformation potential phonon scattering, radiative and non-radiative decay and Auger decay. The relaxation kinetics has been analysed for temperatures in the range between 0.3 and 5?K. Under the action of deformation potential phonon scattering only, we find for temperatures above 0.5?K that the excitons reach local equilibrium with the lattice, i.e.?that the effective local temperature is coming down to the bath temperature, while below 0.5?K a non-thermal energy distribution remains. Interestingly, for all temperatures the global spatial distribution of excitons does not reach the equilibrium distribution, but stays at a much higher effective temperature. If we include further a finite lifetime of the excitons and the two-particle Auger decay, we find that both the local and the global effective temperature do not come down to the bath temperature. In the first case we find that a Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) occurs for all temperatures in the investigated range. Comparing our results with the thermal equilibrium case, we find that BEC occurs for a significantly higher number of excitons in the trap. This effect could be related to the higher global temperature, which requires an increased number of excitons within the trap to observe the BEC. In the case of Auger decay, we do not find a BEC at any temperature due to the local heating of the exciton gas.     

Geschwindigkeitsverteilungsfunktionen von Atomen und Ionen in verschiedenen Anregungs- und Ionisationsstufen in Niederdruck-Entladungen bei hohem Ionisationsgrad

Supposing free-fall conditions the velocity distribution functions of atoms and ions in various levels in gas discharges at low pressures are calculated. In particular, plasmas at high degrees of ionization are considered. Solving the Boltzmann equation for the motions transverse to the wall of the discharge tube it is shown that the velocity distribution functions can considerably deviate from the Maxwellian and become non-isotropic. Inelastic collisions with electrons and the ionization by electron impacts considerably determine the velocity distribution function of the neutral atoms. The velocity distribution function of the ions is also essentially determined by the electric field within the plasma. For the motions transverse to the wall the half widths of the velocity distribution functions do not only depend on the temperature of the wall, but on the electron density and on the electron temperature as well. At small electron densities the half widths for excited atoms and for ions can be narrower than the one for the ground state atoms. The charge exchange between atoms and ions is shortly taken into consideration.     

Stable Equilibrium Based on Lévy Statistics:A Linear Boltzmann Equation Approach

To obtain further insight on possible power law generalizations of Boltzmann equilibrium concepts, we consider stochastic collision models. The models are a generalization of the Rayleigh collision model, for a heavy one dimensional particle M interacting with ideal gas particles with a mass m<<M. Similar to previous approaches we assume elastic, uncorrelated, and impulsive collisions. We let the bath particle velocity distribution function to be of general form, namely we do not postulate a specific form of power-law equilibrium. We show, under certain conditions, that the velocity distribution function of the heavy particle is Lévy stable, the Maxwellian distribution being a special case. We demonstrate our results with numerical examples. The relation of the power law equilibrium obtained here to thermodynamics is discussed. In particular we compare between two models: a thermodynamic and an energy scaling approaches. These models yield insight into questions like the meaning of temperature for power law equilibrium, and into the issue of the universality of the equilibrium (i.e., is the width of the generalized Maxwellian distribution functions obtained here, independent of coupling constant to the bath).     

库的量子关联相干辅助系统能量提取的研究

基于单模微腔与二能级原子系综(库)构成的混合动力学模型,探索了非平衡库中量子关联相干(quantum correlated coherence, QCC)[Tan K C, et al. 2016 Phys. Rev. A 94, 022329])对系统动力学的影响.推导了量子关联相干库下系统演化的动力学方程.借助于含QCC的类GHZ库及其对应的参考库,清晰地揭示了非平衡库中QCC扮演着热力学资源的角色——能够有效辅助系统从库中提取更多能量.同时,结合解析与数值模拟方法研究了类GHZ库的有效温度和系统与库间的耦合参数对QCC能量效应的影响.研究发现, QCC对腔场的能量贡献不仅依赖于库的有效温度,而且也和系统与库间的耦合参数有关.这与二能级原子构成的传统的热库的情况(腔场从热库中提取的能量仅仅依赖于库的有效温度即二能级原子的热布局)完全不同.此外,研究发现QCC可视作一类优质的热力学资源,在特定条件下其对系统的能量贡献远大于原子热布局的贡献.因此, QCC将是高输出功率或高效率量子热机设计中的一类重要燃料.     

Global Existence of Classical Solutions to the Vlasov-Poisson-Boltzmann System

The time evolution of the distribution function for the charged particles in a dilute gas is governed by the Vlasov–Poisson–Boltzmann system when the force is self-induced and its potential function satisfies the Poisson equation. In this paper, we give a satisfactory global existence theory of classical solutions to this system when the initial data is a small perturbation of a global Maxwellian. Moreover, the convergence rate in time to the global Maxwellian is also obtained through the energy method. The proof is based on the theory of compressible Navier–Stokes equations with forcing and the decomposition of the solutions to the Boltzmann equation with respect to the local Maxwellian introduced in [23] and elaborated in [31].     

High field transport properties in a GaN/AlGaN heterostructure

The drift velocity, electron temperature, electron energy and momentum loss rates of a two-dimensional electron gas are calculated in a GaN/AlGaN heterojunction (HJ) at high electric fields employing the energy and momentum balance technique, assuming the drifted Fermi–Dirac (F–D) distribution function for electrons. Besides the conventional scattering mechanisms, roughness induced new scattering mechanisms such as misfit piezoelectric and misfit deformation potential scatterings are considered in momentum relaxation. Energy loss rates due to acoustic phonons and polar optical phonon scattering with hot phonon effect are considered. The calculated drift velocity, electron temperature and energy loss rate are compared with the experimental data and a good agreement is obtained. The hot phonon effect is found to reduce the drift velocity, energy and momentum loss rates, whereas it enhances the electron temperature. Also the effect of using drifted F–D distribution, due to high carrier density in GaN/AlGaN HJs, contrary to the drifted Maxwellian distribution function used in the earlier calculations, is brought out.     

Transient response of hot electrons in narrow-gap semiconductors at low temperatures in the presence of a longitudinal quantizing magnetic field

Transient response of hot electrons in narrow-gap semiconductors to a step electric field in the presence of a longitudinal quantizing magnetic field has been studied at low temperatures using displaced Maxwellian distribution. The energy and momentum balance equations are used assuming acoustic phonon scattering via deformation potential responsible for the energy relaxation and elastic acoustic phonon scattering together with ionized impurity scattering for momentum relaxation. The calculations for the variation of drift velocity and electron temperature as functions of time are made for n-Hg_0.8Cd_0.2 Te in the extreme quantum limit at 1.5 K and 4.2 K. The momentum and energy relaxation times are found to be of the same order of magnitudes as with the experimental values. The magnetic field and lattice temperature dependences of the relaxation rates have been investigated.One of the authors, Suchandra Bhaumik, acknowledges the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Delhi) for financial support.     

Pauli blocking of collisions in a quantum degenerate atomic Fermi gas.

We have produced an interacting quantum degenerate Fermi gas of atoms composed of two spin states of magnetically trapped 40K. The relative Fermi energies are adjusted by controlling the population in each spin state. Thermodynamic measurements reveal a resulting imbalance in the mean energy per particle between the two species, which is a factor of 1.4 at our lowest temperature. This imbalance of energy comes from a suppression of collisions between atoms in the gas due to the Pauli exclusion principle. Through measurements of the thermal relaxation rate we have directly observed this Pauli blocking as a factor of 2 reduction in the effective collision cross section in the quantum degenerate regime.     

Constant of electron impact ionization in a weakly ionized argon plasma in crossed <Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>×<Emphasis Type="Italic">B</Emphasis> fields

A theoretical model is proposed which allows one to calculate the electron energy distribution function, the average electron energy, and the constant of electron impact ionization of atoms for an argon plasma. The model considers both elastic and inelastic collisions that determine the electron energy distribution in crossed E×B fields. It is shown that the electron energy distribution is strongly different from the Maxwellian one in the case of no magnetic field, whereas in the cases of a strong magnetic field it asymptotically approximates the Maxwellian distribution. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 3–7, August, 2008.     

Model for the emission of quasi-thermal atoms during sputtering of metals in the nonlinear collision cascade regime

The ion sputtering of metals and frozen inert gases in the nonlinear collision cascade regime, where the density of the energy released in the bulk of the thermal peak exceeds the critical medium temperature, initiates the emission of quasi-thermal atoms. The energy spectrum of such atoms is substantially shifted toward low energies and is not described by a Maxwellian distribution. A simple emission model is proposed on the assumption of collisional motion of sputtered atoms in their flight from a target, and this model is used to derive an analytical formula for the calculation of the energy spectra of quasi-thermal atoms. A comparison of the calculated energy spectra of indium, krypton, and xenon atoms and the spectra measured during ion sputtering of indium and frozen inert gases in the nonlinear collision cascade regime shows their agreement at reasonable values of fitting parameters.     

A new model for ideal gases. Decay to the Maxwellian distribution

In this work, a new model in kinetic gas theory for deriving the Maxwellian velocity distribution (MVD) is proposed. We construct an operator that governs the discrete time evolution of the velocity distribution. This operator, which conserves the momentum and the energy of the ideal gas, has the MVD as a fixed point. Moreover, for any initial out-of-equilibrium velocity distribution, it is shown that the gas decays to the equilibrium distribution, that is, to the MVD.     

Spatial Density Distributions and Correlations in a Quasi-one-Dimensional Polydisperse Granular Gas

By Monte Carlo simulations, the effect of the dispersion of particle size distribution on the spatial density distributions and correlations of a quasi one-dimensional polydisperse granular gas with fractal size distribution is investigated in the same inelasticity. The dispersive degree of the particle size distribution can be measured by a fractal dimension dr, and the smooth particles are constrained to move along a circle of length L, colliding inelastically with each other and thermalized by a viscosity heat bath. When the typical relaxation time τ of the driving Brownian process is longer than the mean collision time To, the system can reach a nonequilibrium steady state. The average energy of the system decays exponentially with time towards a stable asymptotic value, and the energy relaxation time τB to the steady state becomes shorter with increasing values of df. In the steady state, the spatial density distribution becomes more clusterized as df increases, which can be quantitatively characterized by statistical entropy of the system. Furthermore, the spatial correlation functions of density and velocities are found to be a power-law form for small separation distance of particles, and both of the correlations become stronger with the increase of df. Also, tile density clusterization is explained from the correlations.     

Spektroskopische Untersuchungen über das thermodynamische Gleichgewicht der Anregung in den Plasmen kurzdauernder Impulsentladungen

The light emission of gases conducting electric discharges is of considerable complexity. The observed phenomenas are controlled to a great part by the electric parameters of the circuit, as well as by the time constants of the specific plasma properties as the relation times for reaching Maxwellian distribution and thermal equilibrium of electrons, ions, and atoms. The influence of the nonequilibrium between the excitation and the electron temperature on the population of states was studied in short time discharges by means of singulet and triplet lines of elements of the second group of the periodic system. In these discharges a nonequilibrium was found between the excitation and the electron temperature. While the time constant measured for the cooling of the electron gas was found to 7·10^?7 s in a discharge switched off 9·10^?7 s past the ignition the minimal time constant of relaxation of excitation is equal to the life time of the 2p ₂ state — this value of cadmium being 2.4·10^?6 s -.The use of Boltzmann and Saha equation must be considered very carefully in this type of short time discharges.     

Superradiance and energy transfer within a system of atoms

We investigate cooperative effects in energy relaxation and energy transfer for N atoms in a thermal radiation field with superradiance master equations as well as a closed set of coupled moment equations. Both spatially large and spatially small systems are considered. For small systems nonlinear rate equations for the energy are related to the moment equations. Symmetry of the small system to interchanging atoms is used to incorporate off-diagonal solutions of the superradiance master equation in expressions for the probability of the transfer of energy from one group of atoms to another. The long time excitation probability for initially unexcited atoms is large and strongly correlated. Cooperative processes in a large system which fall off with the distance between a cooperating pair of atoms include energy loss and transfer terms in the master equation. The energy transfer is oscillatory in time. Energy relaxation is shown by numerical solution to become cooperative in a very sudden manner as the scale of the atomic system is decreased through the resonant wavelength.     

A phenomenological model for the luminescence of hot electrons in the high excitation density regime

The departure from a Maxwellian behavior observed in the high energy part of the luminescence spectrum of a hot electron gas in a direct gap polar semiconductor in a regime of high density of excitation is shown to be a consequence of the out of equivalibrium steady state statistical distribution of carrier population in the conduction band. To do this we construct a phenomenological kinetic model of the time evolution of the distribution which incorporates the three important carrier collision mechanisms: recombination, electron-optical phonon and electron-electron. The model is non-linear due to the electron-electron terms. It has been solved numerically and in an approximate analytical way. This last method gives an explicit expression for the distribution function and the temperature of the hot electron gas in terms of the parameters of the system. Our calculations reproduce well the trends shown in the experimental data reported in the literature.     

Kinetics of electron emission from the TGS ferroelectric crystal

A study is reported on the behavior in time of the electron emission current density from a triglycine sulfate ferroelectric crystal measured at fixed temperatures. This relation is shown to have an exponential nature. The characteristic emission relaxation time depends on temperature and decreases as one approaches the phase-transition point. The magnitude of the relaxation time and its temperature dependence can be accounted for both within a mechanism in which the emission decay is associated with the emptying of surface electron states, and in terms of the Maxwellian relaxation process.     

Relaxation to a Perpetually Pulsating Equilibrium

Paper in honour of Freeman Dyson on the occasion of his 80th birthday. NormalN-body systems relax to equilibrium distributions in which classical kinetic energy components are 1/2kT, but, when inter-particle forces are an inverse cubic repulsion together with a linear (simple harmonic) attraction, the system pulsates for ever. In spite of this pulsation in scale,r(t), other degrees of freedom relax to an ever-changing Maxwellian distribution. With a new time, τ, defined so thatr ²d/dt = d/dτ it is shown that the remaining degrees of freedom evolve with an unchanging reduced Hamiltonian. The distribution predicted by equilibrium statistical mechanics applied to the reduced Hamiltonian is an ever-pulsating Maxwellian in which the temperature pulsates liker ^-2. Numerical simulation with 1000 particles demonstrate a rapid relaxation to this pulsating equilibrium.