Free-Energy Transition in a Gas of Noninteracting Nonlinear Wave Particles

A. Fratalocchi, C. Conti, G. Ruocco, and S. Trillo
Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 044101 – Published 21 July 2008

Abstract

We investigate the dynamics of a gas of noninteracting particlelike soliton waves, demonstrating that phase transitions originate from their collective behavior. This is predicted by solving exactly the nonlinear equations and by employing methods of the statistical mechanics of chaos. In particular, we show that a suitable free energy undergoes a metamorphosis as the input excitation is increased, thereby developing a first-order phase transition whose measurable manifestation is the formation of shock waves. This demonstrates that even the simplest phase-space dynamics, involving independent (uncoupled) degrees of freedom, can sustain critical phenomena.

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  • Received 29 February 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.044101

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. Fratalocchi1,2, C. Conti1,2, G. Ruocco2,3, and S. Trillo2,4

  • 1Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Via Panisperna 89/A, I-00184, Roma, Italy
  • 2Research Center Soft INFM-CNR, c/o University of Rome Sapienza, I-00185, Roma, Italy
  • 3Department of Physics, University of Rome Sapienza, I-00185, Rome, Italy
  • 4Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, 44100 Ferrara, Italy

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Issue

Vol. 101, Iss. 4 — 25 July 2008

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