A probabilistic approach to spectral analysis of growth-fragmentation equations

The growth-fragmentation equation describes a system of growing and dividing particles, and arises in models of cell division, protein polymerisation and even telecommunications protocols. Several important questions about the equation concern the asymptotic behaviour of solutions at large times: at what rate do they converge to zero or infinity, and what does the asymptotic profile of the solutions look like? Does the rescaled solution converge to its asymptotic profile at an exponential speed? These questions have traditionally been studied using analytic techniques such as entropy methods or splitting of operators. In this work, we present a probabilistic approach: we use a Feynman–Kac formula to relate the solution of the growth-fragmentation equation to the semigroup of a Markov process, and characterise the rate of decay or growth in terms of this process. We then identify the Malthus exponent and the asymptotic profile in terms of a related Markov process, and give a spectral interpretation in terms of the growth-fragmentation operator and its dual.     

Spectra and Transport in Almost Periodic Dimers

We study spectral properties of discrete Schrödinger operators with potentials obtained via dimerization of a class of aperiodic sequences. It is shown that both the nature of the autocorrelation measure of a regular sequence and the presence of generic (full probability) singular continuous spectrum in the hull of primitive and palindromic (four block substitution) potentials are robust under dimerization. Generic results also hold for circle potentials. We illustrate these results with numerical studies of the quantum mean square displacement as a function of time. The numerical techniques provide a very fast algorithm for the time evolution of wave packets.     

Finite-Band Potentials with Trigonal Curves

We construct Dubrovin equations and trace formulas for finite-band operators with trigonal curves and present some examples.     

The Linear Fokker-Planck Equation for the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Process as an (Almost) Nonlinear Kinetic Equation for an Isolated N-Particle System

It is long known that the Fokker-Planck equation with prescribed constant coefficients of diffusion and linear friction describes the ensemble average of the stochastic evolutions in velocity space of a Brownian test particle immersed in a heat bath of fixed temperature. Apparently, it is not so well known that the same partial differential equation, but now with constant coefficients which are functionals of the solution itself rather than being prescribed, describes the kinetic evolution (in the N→∞ limit) of an isolated N-particle system with certain stochastic interactions. Here we discuss in detail this recently discovered interpretation. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Generalized lattice model of liquid state and its relation to Ginzburg–Landau theory

Basic principles of the generalized lattice model of multicomponent condensed systems are formulated. Short-range parts of interatomic interactions are taken into account by means of the geometric constraints method. Long-range parts of the interactions are taken into account in mean field approximation. The expression for Helmholtz free energy is obtained. A system of integral equations for the equilibrium distributions of components is derived. The asymptotic properties of its solutions are investigated. Moment expansion of interatomic interactions and localization of integral terms in free energy is obtained. A Ginzburg–Landau-like functional of free energy is derived.     

Structure and Structural Nonrigidity of Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin Radical Cations

Ab initio calculations showed that the tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin radical cations (TCDD RCs) with a planar structure have two steady states with asymmetric dioxin cycles. The activation barriers between these states are up to 2 kcal/mole, so that the RCs may be regarded as being structurally nonrigid within the dioxin cycle. The 2,3,7,8-TCDD RC is more stable than the 1,4,6,9-TCDD RC, the energy difference being 5.2 kcal/mole. The adiabatic ionization potential of 2,3,7,8-TCDD (7.54 eV) is 0.1 eV smaller than the corresponding potential of 1,4,6,9-TCDD. These factors account for the increased hemoproteide affinity and hence increased biological activity of 2,3,7,8-TCDD.     

Spectral Theory for Slowly Oscillating Potentials II. Schrödinger Operators

This paper continues the investigation about the singularity theory in dual rich quasi–Banach spaces given in T. Runst [Ru 2]. The abstract results are applied to the study of the solution structure of semilinear elliptic boundary value problems in spaces of Besov – Triebel – Lizorkin type.     

Trovacenchemie. 13 [1] Weg und Irrweg zu Di([5]trovacenyl)keton

Trovacene Chemistry. 13 [1] On Being Lead and Mislead in the Synthesis of Di([5]trovacenyl)ketone Di([5]trovacenyl)ketone ( 3¨ ) has been prepared from lithio‐[5]trovacene and dimethylcarbamoyl chloride and studied by X‐ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, magnetic susceptometry and EPR spectroscopy. Slight variation of the synthetic protocol affords an unusual trinuclear complex 5 ? that is also fully characterized. Spin‐spin exchange interaction is smaller in 3¨ than in 1,1‐di([5]trovacenylethene ( 2¨ ), which differs from 3¨ by a replacement of O for CH₂. The novel trinuclear complex 5 ? , however, displays exchange coupling very similar to that observed in 1‐methoxy‐2,5,6‐tri([5]trovacenyl)benzene ( 7 ? ). In both cases, an unsymmetrical triangular arrangement of S = 1/2 centers is encountered. These findings are discussed in terms of the nature of the respective spacers.     

Looking at Fokker-Planck dynamics with a noisy instrument

We consider the class of experiments which can be characterized by a Fokker-PIanck dynamics corresponding to the overdamped motion of a state point in a suitable stochastic potential. We assume that the general form of the potential is known (or can be guessed with reasonable accuracy), but that its parameters are to be determined experimentally by measurements made with a noisy instrument. This possible method for determining the potential parameters, which exploits the system's own internal stochastic motion in order to explore rapidly its available parameter space, is substantially more efficient than traditional methods involving time averages of single point measurements, and yet does not appear to have been previously considered. The method could be important when, for example, the experiment must be completed in a limited time owing either to the expense of the experimental materials or to the temporary stationarity of the preparation, situations which are commonly encountered in experimental biochemistry and biology.     

Coupled channel description of O+Nd scattering around the Coulomb barrier using a complex microscopic potential

Angular distributions of elastic scattering and inelastic scattering from 2⁺₁ state are measured for ¹⁶O+^142,144,146Nd systems at several energies in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier. The angular distributions are systematically analyzed in coupled channel framework. Renormalized double folded real optical and coupling potentials with DDM3Y interaction have been used in the calculation. Relevant nuclear densities needed to generate the potentials are derived from shell model wavefunctions. A truncated shell model calculation has been performed and the calculated energy levels are compared with the experimental ones. To simulate the absorption, a ‘hybrid’ approach is adopted. The contribution to the imaginary potential of couplings to the inelastic channels, other than the 2⁺₁ target excitation channel, is calculated in the Feshbach formalism. This calculated imaginary potential along with a short ranged volume Woods–Saxon potential to simulate the absorption in fusion channel reproduces the angular distributions for ¹⁶O+¹⁴⁶Nd quite well. But for ¹⁶O+^142,144Nd systems additional surface absorption is found to be necessary to fit the angular distribution data. The variations of this additional absorption term with incident energy and the mass of the target are explored.