A recent paper [Phys. Rev. E 91, 022925 (2015)] presents the derivation of the nonlinear equation modeling envelope waves in a specific case of band passed filter discrete nonlinear electrical transmission line (NLTL), called “A modified Noguchi electrical transmission line” according to the authors. Using the reductive perturbation approach in the semidiscrete approximation, they showed that the modulated waves propagating in this NLTL are described by the ordinary nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation. On the basis of their results, the authors claimed that all previous works on the band passed filter NLTL, which considered the vanishing of the dc component of the signal voltage, are incorrect, and this dc term is nonzero. As a consequence, the dispersion and nonlinearity coefficients of the NLS equation are strongly different from those usually obtained, and they found, according to the sign of the product $PQ$, the existence of one more region (compared to the work of Marquié et al. [Phys. Rev. E 49, 828 (1994)]) in the dispersion curve that allows the motion of envelope solitons of higher frequency in the system. In this Comment we provide sufficient theoretical and numerical evidence showing that the evidence obtained by the authors otherwise is due to certain terms missed in their mathematical developments when they derived the NLS equation. Our results also suggest that the previous work of Marquié and co-workers correctly predict the fact that the dc term of the signal voltage does not exist and there exist only two regions in the dispersion curve according to the sign of the product $PQ$.

We derive general expressions for the free energy, entropy production, and entropy extraction rates for a Brownian particle that walks in a viscous medium where the dynamics of its motion is governed by the Langevin equation. It is shown that, when the system is out of equilibrium, it constantly produces entropy and at the same time extracts entropy out of the system. Its entropy production and extraction rates decrease in time and saturate to a constant value. In the long-time limit, the rate of entropy production balances the rate of entropy extraction and, at equilibrium, both entropy production and extraction rates become zero. Moreover, considering different model systems, not only do we investigate how various thermodynamic quantities behave in time but also we discuss the fluctuation theorem in detail.

By analogy with linear response, we formulate the duality and reciprocity properties of current and voltage fluctuations expressed by Nyquist relations, including the intrinsic bandwidths of the respective fluctuations. For this purpose, we individuate total-number and drift-velocity fluctuations of carriers inside a conductor as the microscopic sources of noise. The spectral densities at low frequency of the current and voltage fluctuations and the respective conductance and resistance are related in a mutually exclusive way to the corresponding noise source. The macroscopic variances of current and voltage fluctuations are found to display a dual property via a plasma conductance that admits a reciprocal plasma resistance. Analogously, the microscopic noise sources are found to obey a dual property and a reciprocity relation. The formulation is carried out in the frame of the grand canonical (for current noise) and canonical (for voltage noise) ensembles, and results are derived that are valid for classical as well as degenerate statistics, including fractional exclusion statistics. The unifying theory so developed sheds new light on the microscopic interpretation of dissipation and fluctuation phenomena in conductors. In particular, it is proven that for fermions, as a consequence of the Pauli principle, nonvanishing single-carrier velocity fluctuations at zero temperature are responsible for diffusion but not for current noise, which vanishes in this limit.

Sudden failure of a single transmission element in a power grid can induce a domino effect of cascading failures, which can lead to the isolation of a large number of consumers or even to the failure of the entire grid. Here we present results of the simulation of cascading failures in power grids, using an alternating current (AC) model. We first apply this model to a regular square grid topology. For a random placement of consumers and generators on the grid, the probability to find more than a certain number of unsupplied consumers decays as a power law and obeys a scaling law with respect to system size. Varying the transmitted power threshold above which a transmission line fails does not seem to change the power-law exponent $q\approx 1.6$. Furthermore, we study the influence of the placement of generators and consumers on the number of affected consumers and demonstrate that large clusters of generators and consumers are especially vulnerable to cascading failures. As a real-world topology, we consider the German high-voltage transmission grid. Applying the dynamic AC model and considering a random placement of consumers, we find that the probability to disconnect more than a certain number of consumers depends strongly on the threshold. For large thresholds the decay is clearly exponential, while for small ones the decay is slow, indicating a power-law decay.

Using the fusion-rules hypothesis for three-dimensional and two-dimensional Navier-Stokes turbulence, we generalize a previous nonperturbative locality proof to multiple applications of the nonlinear interactions operator on generalized structure functions of velocity differences. We call this generalization of nonperturbative locality to multiple applications of the nonlinear interactions operator “multilocality.” The resulting cross terms pose a new challenge requiring a new argument and the introduction of a new fusion rule that takes advantage of rotational symmetry. Our main result is that the fusion-rules hypothesis implies both locality and multilocality in both the IR and UV limits for the downscale energy cascade of three-dimensional Navier-Stokes turbulence and the downscale enstrophy cascade and inverse energy cascade of two-dimensional Navier-Stokes turbulence. We stress that these claims relate to nonperturbative locality of generalized structure functions on all orders and not the term-by-term perturbative locality of diagrammatic theories or closure models that involve only two-point correlation and response functions.

The aim of this study is to extend the scope and applicability of the level-crossing method to discrete-time stochastic processes and generalize it to enable us to study multiple discrete-time stochastic processes. In previous versions of the level-crossing method, problems with it correspond to the fact that this method had been developed for analyzing a continuous-time process or at most a multiple continuous-time process in an individual manner. However, since all empirical processes are discrete in time, the already-established level-crossing method may not prove adequate for studying empirical processes. Beyond this, due to the fact that most empirical processes are coupled; their individual study could lead to vague results. To achieve the objectives of this study, we first find an analytical expression for the average frequency of crossing a level in a discrete-time process, giving the measure of the time experienced for two consecutive crossings named as the “waiting time.” We then introduce the generalized level-crossing method by which the consideration of coupling between the components of a multiple process becomes possible. Finally, we provide an analytic solution when the components of a multiple stochastic process are independent Gaussian white noises. The comparison of the results obtained for coupled and uncoupled processes measures the strength and efficiency of the coupling, justifying our model and analysis. The advantage of the proposed method is its sensitivity to the slightest coupling and shortest correlation length.

We explore the dynamics of strongly localized periodic solutions (discrete solitons or discrete breathers) in a finite one-dimensional chain of oscillators. Localization patterns with both single and multiple localization sites (breathers and multibreathers) are considered. The model involves parabolic on-site potential with rigid constraints (the displacement domain of each particle is finite) and a linear nearest-neighbor coupling. When the particle approaches the constraint, it undergoes an inelastic impact according to Newton's impact model. The rigid nonideal impact constraints are the only source of nonlinearity and damping in the system. We demonstrate that this vibro-impact model allows derivation of exact analytic solutions for the breathers and multibreathers with an arbitrary set of localization sites, both in conservative and in forced-damped settings. Periodic boundary conditions are considered; exact solutions for other types of boundary conditions are also available. Local character of the nonlinearity permits explicit derivation of a monodromy matrix for the breather solutions. Consequently, the stability of the derived breather and multibreather solutions can be efficiently studied in the framework of simple methods of linear algebra, and with rather moderate computational efforts. One reveals that that the finiteness of the chain fragment and possible proximity of the localization sites strongly affect both the existence and the stability patterns of these localized solutions.

We suggest a site disorder model that describes the population of identical oscillators with quenched random interactions for both the coupling strength and coupling phase. We obtain the reduced equations for the suborder parameters, on the basis of Ott-Antonsen ansatz theory, and present a complete bifurcation analysis of the reduced system. New effects include the appearance of the incoherent chimera and glassy state, both of which are caused by heterogeneity of the coupling phases. In the incoherent chimera state, the system displays an exotic symmetry-breaking behavior in spite of the apparent structural symmetry where the oscillators for both of the two subpopulations are in a frustrated state, while the phase distribution for each subpopulation approaches a steady state that differs from each other. When the incoherent chimera undergoes Hopf bifurcation, the system displays a breathing incoherent chimera. The glassy state that occurs on a surface of three-dimensional parameter space exhibits a continuum of metastable states with zero value of the global order parameter. Explicit formulas are derived for the system's Hopf, saddle-node, and transcritical bifurcation curves, as well as the codimension-2 crossing points, including the Takens-Bogdanov point.

This paper reports the occurrence of several chimera patterns and the associated transitions among them in a network of coupled oscillators, which are connected by a long-range interaction that obeys a distance-dependent power law. This type of interaction is common in physics and biology and constitutes a general form of coupling scheme, where by tuning the power-law exponent of the long-range interaction the coupling topology can be varied from local via nonlocal to global coupling. To explore the effect of the power-law coupling on collective dynamics, we consider a network consisting of a realistic ecological model of oscillating populations, namely the Rosenzweig–MacArthur model, and show that the variation of the power-law exponent mediates transitions between spatial synchrony and various chimera patterns. We map the possible spatiotemporal states and their scenarios that arise due to the interplay between the coupling strength and the power-law exponent.

Colloidal bodies of irregular shape rotate as they descend under gravity in solution. This rotational response provides a means of bringing a dispersion of identical bodies into a synchronized rotation with the same orientation using programed forcing. We use the notion of statistical entropy to derive bounds on the rate of synchronization. These bounds apply generally to dynamical systems with stable periodic motion with a phase $\varphi \left(t\right)$, when subjected to an impulsive perturbation. The impulse causes a change of phase expressible as a phase map $\psi \left(\varphi \right)$. We derive an upper limit on the average change of entropy $〈\mathrm{\Delta }H〉$ in terms of this phase map; when this limit is negative, alignment must occur. For systems that have achieved a low entropy, the $〈\mathrm{\Delta }H〉$ approaches this upper limit.

We study the subthreshold and suprathreshold vibrational resonance in the FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron model. For the subthreshold situation, two cases where the stationary states are equilibrium point and limit cycle are considered, where different natures of vibrational resonance are observed via theoretical and numerical methods. Especially when the frequency of the high-frequency driving force is near the so-called canard-resonance frequency, the firing rate can be significantly enhanced at the presence of noise. For the suprathreshold situation, we show that the local maxima of the response amplitude are located at the transition boundaries of different phase-locking patterns. The minimal required forcing amplitudes of high-frequency signal of the firing onset are just multiples of the spiking frequency. Furthermore, phase portraits and time series show that the presence of the global maxima of the response results from not only the suprathreshold but also the subthreshold phase-locking modes. In spite of the distinct characteristics for two stationary states on subthreshold oscillation, the suprathreshold vibrational resonance showed no qualitative difference between the two cases.

We consider a two-dimensional model system of Brownian particles in which slow particles are accelerated while fast particles are damped. The motion of the individual particles is described by a Langevin equation with Rayleigh-Helmholtz velocity-dependent friction. In the case of noninteracting particles, the time evolution equations lead to a non-Gaussian velocity distribution. The velocity-dependent friction allows negative values of the friction or energy intakes by slow particles, which we consider active motion, and also causes breaking of the fluctuation dissipation relation. Defining the effective temperature proportional to the second moment of velocity, it is shown that for a constant effective temperature the higher the noise strength, the lower the number of active particles in the system. Using the Mori-Zwanzig formalism and the mode-coupling approximation, the equations of motion for the density autocorrelation function are derived. The equations are solved using the equilibrium structure factors. The integration-through-transients approach is used to derive a relation between the structure factor in the stationary state considering the interacting forces, and the conventional equilibrium static structure factor.

Nonequilibrium stochastic dynamics of several active Brownian systems are modeled in terms of nonlinear velocity dependent force. In general, this force may consist of both even and odd functions of velocity. We derive the expression for total entropy production in such systems using the Fokker-Planck equation. The result is consistent with the expression for stochastic entropy production in the reservoir that we obtain from probabilities of time-forward and time-reversed trajectories, leading to fluctuation theorems. Numerical simulation is used to find probability distribution of entropy production, which shows good agreement with the detailed fluctuation theorem.

Polymers suspended in granular packings have a significant impact on water retention, which is important for soil irrigation and the curing of building materials. Whereas the drying rate remains constant during a long period for pure water due to capillary flow providing liquid water to the evaporating surface, we show that it is not the case for a suspension made of soft polymeric particles called microgels: The drying rate decreases immediately and significantly. By measuring the spatial water saturation and concentration of suspended particles with magnetic resonance imaging, we can explain these original trends and model the process. In low-viscosity fluids, the accumulation of particles at the free surface induces a recession of the air-liquid interface. A simple model, assuming particle transport and accumulation below the sample free surface, is able to reproduce our observations without any fitting parameters. The high viscosity of the microgel suspension inhibits flow towards the free surface and a drying front appears. We show that water vapor diffusion over a defined and increasing length sets the drying rate. These results and model allow for better controlling the drying and water retention in granular porous materials.

The nuclear plus interference scattering (NIS) effect on the stopping power of hot dense beryllium (Be) plasma for multi-MeV protons is theoretically investigated by using the generalized Brown-Preston-Singleton (BPS) model, in which a NIS term is taken into account. The analytical formula of the NIS term is detailedly derived. By using this formula, the density and temperature dependence of the NIS effect is numerically studied, and the results show that the NIS effect becomes more and more important with increasing the plasma temperature or density. Different from the cases of protons traveling through the deuterium-tritium plasmas, for a Be plasma, a prominent oscillation valley structure is observed in the NIS term when the proton's energy is close to $E_p=7\mathrm{MeV}$. Furthermore, the penetration distance is remarkably reduced when the NIS term is considered.

We consider the observability model in networks with arbitrary topologies. We introduce a system of coupled nonlinear equations, valid under the locally treelike ansatz, to describe the size of the largest observable cluster as a function of the fraction of directly observable nodes present in the network. We perform a systematic analysis on 95 real-world graphs and compare our theoretical predictions with numerical simulations of the observability model. Our method provides almost perfect predictions in the majority of the cases, even for networks with very large values of the clustering coefficient. Potential applications of our theory include the development of efficient and scalable algorithms for real-time surveillance of social networks, and monitoring of technological networks.

We study the probability distribution $\mathcal{P}(H,t,L)$ of the surface height $h(x=0,t)=H$ in the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation in $1+1$ dimension when starting from a parabolic interface, $h(x,t=0)=x^2/L$. The limits of $L\to \infty$ and $L\to 0$ have been recently solved exactly for any $t>0$. Here we address the early-time behavior of $\mathcal{P}(H,t,L)$ for general $L$. We employ the weak-noise theory—a variant of WKB approximation—which yields the optimal history of the interface, conditioned on reaching the given height $H$ at the origin at time $t$. We find that at small $H\mathcal{P}(H,t,L)$ is Gaussian, but its tails are non-Gaussian and highly asymmetric. In the leading order and in a proper moving frame, the tails behave as $-ln\mathcal{P}=f_{+}{\left|H\right|}^{5/2}/t^{1/2}$ and $f_{-}{\left|H\right|}^{3/2}/t^{1/2}$. The factor $f_{+}(L,t)$ monotonically increases as a function of $L$, interpolating between time-independent values at $L=0$ and $L=\infty$ that were previously known. The factor $f_{-}$ is independent of $L$ and $t$, signaling universality of this tail for a whole class of deterministic initial conditions.

In this paper we consider heterogeneous diffusion processes with the power-law dependence of the diffusion coefficient on the position and investigate the influence of external forces on the resulting anomalous diffusion. The heterogeneous diffusion processes can yield subdiffusion as well as superdiffusion, depending on the behavior of the diffusion coefficient. We assume that not only the diffusion coefficient but also the external force has a power-law dependence on the position. We obtain analytic expressions for the transition probability in two cases: when the power-law exponent in the external force is equal to $2\eta -1$, where $2\eta$ is the power-law exponent in the dependence of the diffusion coefficient on the position, and when the external force has a linear dependence on the position. We found that the power-law exponent in the dependence of the mean square displacement on time does not depend on the external force; this force changes only the anomalous diffusion coefficient. In addition, the external force having the power-law exponent different from $2\eta -1$ limits the time interval where the anomalous diffusion occurs. We expect that the results obtained in this paper may be relevant for a more complete understanding of anomalous diffusion processes.

We propose simple models for the current-voltage characteristics of typical Josephson ratchets. We consider the case of a ratchet working against a constant applied counter force and derive analytical expressions for the key characteristics of such a ratchet: rectification curve, stopping force, input and output powers, and rectification efficiency. Optimization of the ratchet performance is discussed.

This paper presents an experimental study on pedestrian bidirectional streams and the mechanisms leading to spontaneous lane formation by examining the flow formed by two groups of people walking toward each other in a mock corridor. Flow ratio is changed by changing each group size while maintaining comparable total flow and density. By tracking the trajectories of each pedestrian and analyzing the data obtained, five different phases were recognized as contributing to the transition from unidirectional to bidirectional flow including the spontaneous creation and dissolution of lanes. It has been shown that a statistical treatment is required to understand the fundamental characteristics of pedestrian dynamics and some two-dimensional quantities such as order parameter and rotation range were introduced to allow a more complete analysis. All the quantities observed showed a clear relationship with flow ratio and helped distinguishing between the different characteristic phases of the experiment. Results show that balanced bidirectional flow becomes the most stable configuration after lanes are formed, but the lane creation process requires pedestrians to laterally move to a largest extent compared to low flow-ratio configurations. This finding allows us to understand the reasons why balanced bidirectional flow is efficient at low densities, but quickly leads to deadlock formation at high densities.