We experimentally investigate the mesoscopic clustering behavior of thermophoretic-type active particle suspension under quasi-one-dimensional spatial confinement (high aspect ratio microchannel). The microchannel enhances the viscous dissipation to operate the system in subpropulsion regime. We find that, in the subpropulsion regime, the steady-state configuration of active particle suspension exhibits a transition from homogeneous state to sausagelike clustering bundle located at the channel center, quasiperiodic isolated clusters at the channel center, aperiodic isolated cluster deviated from channel center, and finally to the typical propulsion-induced accumulation around the channel boundary as increasing the excitation laser intensity. The formation of those patterns is under the interplay of outward-pointing mesoscopic scaled thermophoretic force and the applied spatial confinement. The finding of those special patterns can provide some further possibilities of particle manipulation at mesoscopic scale.

The smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method is used in this paper to model micropolar fluids, with emphasis on their dissipation mechanisms. To this aim, a dissipation function is defined at the particle level which depends on the relative velocity between particles but also on an additional spin degree of freedom, which modifies such relative velocity as well as introduces spin-related intrinsic dissipation mechanisms, comparable to those related to the rate of deformation tensor in Newtonian fluids. This dissipation function is then incorporated within the Lagrangian formalism, leading to a set of SPH particle equations to describe the dynamics. A continuous integral SPH version of the scheme is obtained with a bottom-up derivation which guarantees the consistency of the SPH term. The model is then enriched with two additional terms based exclusively on the spin derivatives, which grant it the maximal generality as an isotropic model for micropolar fluids. Finally, numerical verification and validation tests are documented that show that SPH is capable of accurately modeling this type of dynamics.

Proteins are known to undergo denaturation and form different phases with varying physicochemical parameters. We report unusual stability of bovine serum albumin protein against commonly used denaturants (temperature and surfactant) in the charged reversal reentrant phase, caused by the multivalent counterions. Unlike monovalent counterions, which promote the denaturants’ induced protein unfolding, the unfolding is restricted in the presence of multivalent ions. The observations are beyond the scope of general understanding of protein unfolding and are believed to be governed by ion-ion correlations driven strong condensation of the multivalent ions.

We use a Hamiltonian (transition matrix) description of height-restricted Dyck paths on the plane in which generating functions for the paths arise as matrix elements of the propagator to evaluate the length and area generating function for paths with arbitrary starting and ending points, expressing it as a rational combination of determinants. Exploiting a connection between random walks and quantum exclusion statistics that we previously established, we express this generating function in terms of grand partition functions for exclusion particles in a finite harmonic spectrum and present an alternative, simpler form for its logarithm that makes its polynomial structure explicit.

We consider the Dirac equation on periodic networks (quantum graphs). The self-adjoint quasiperiodic boundary conditions are derived. The secular equation allowing us to find the energy spectrum of the Dirac particles on periodic quantum graphs is obtained. Band spectra of the periodic quantum graphs of different topologies are calculated. Universality of the probability to be in the spectrum for certain graph topologies is observed.

The cognitive functions of human and nonhuman primates rely on the dynamic interplay of distributed neural assemblies. As such, it seems unlikely that cognition can be supported by macroscopic brain dynamics at the proximity of equilibrium. We confirmed this hypothesis by investigating electrocorticography data from nonhuman primates undergoing different states of unconsciousness (sleep, and anesthesia with propofol, ketamine, and ketamine plus medetomidine), and functional magnetic resonance imaging data from humans, both during deep sleep and under propofol anesthesia. Systematically, all states of reduced consciousness unfolded at higher proximity to equilibrium compared to conscious wakefulness, as demonstrated by the computation of entropy production and the curl of probability flux in phase space. Our results establish nonequilibrium macroscopic brain dynamics as a robust signature of consciousness, opening the way for the characterization of cognition and awareness using tools from statistical mechanics.

We address magnetic-field generation by dynamo action in systems with inhomogeneous electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability. More specifically, we first show that the Taylor-Couette kinematic dynamo undergoes a drastic reduction of its stability threshold when a (zero-mean) modulation of the fluid's electrical conductivity or magnetic permeability is introduced. These results are obtained outside the mean-field regime, for which this effect was initially proposed. Beyond this illustrative example, we extend a duality argument put forward by Favier and Proctor (2013) to show that swapping the distributions of conductivity and permeability and changing $u\to -u$ leaves the dynamo threshold unchanged. This allows one to make connections between a priori unrelated dynamo studies. Finally, we discuss the possibility of observing such an effect both in laboratory and astrophysical settings.

The dynamo mechanism is a process of magnetic field self-excitation in a moving electrically conducting fluid. One of the most interesting applications of this mechanism related to the astrophysical systems is the case of a random motion of plasma. For the very first stage of the process, the governing dynamo equation can be reduced to a system of first-order ordinary differential equations. For this case we suggest a regular method to calculate the growth rate of magnetic energy. Based on this method we calculate the growth rate for random flow with finite memory time and anisotropic statistical distribution of the stretching matrix and compare the results with corresponding ones for the isotropic case and for short-correlated approximation. We find that for moderate Strouhal numbers and moderate anisotropy the analytical results reproduce the numerically estimated growth rates reasonably well, while for larger governing parameters the quantitative difference becomes substantial. In particular, analytical approximation is applicable for the Strouhal numbers $s<0.6$, and we find some numerical models and observational examples for which this region might be relevant. Rather unexpectedly, we find that the mirror asymmetry does not contribute to the growth rates obtained, although the mirror asymmetry effects are known to be crucial for later stages of dynamo action.

A method of parity-time- (PT) symmetry analysis is introduced to study the high-dimensional, complicated parameter space of drift-wave instabilities. We show that spontaneous PT-symmetry breaking leads to the ion temperature gradient instability of drift waves, and the collisional instability is the result of explicit PT-symmetry breaking. A new unstable drift wave induced by finite collisionality is identified. It is also found that gradients of ion temperature and density can destabilize the ion cyclotron waves when PT symmetry is explicitly broken by a finite collisionality.

A numerical method based on the Lattice Boltzmann formalism is presented to capture the effect of adsorption kinetics on transport in porous media. Through the use of a general adsorption operator, canonical models such as Henry and Langmuir adsorption as well as more complex adsorption mechanisms involving collective behavior with lateral interactions and surface aggregation can be investigated using this versatile model. By extending the description of adsorption phenomena to kinetic regimes with any underlying adsorption model, this effective technique allows assessing the coupled dynamics resulting from advection, diffusion, and adsorption in pores not only in stationary conditions but also under transient conditions (i.e., in regimes where the adsorbed amount evolves with time due to diffusion and advection). As illustrated in this paper, the development of such an approach provides a simple tool to determine the reciprocal effect of molecular flow and dispersion on adsorption kinetics. In this context, the use of a Lattice Boltzmann-based approach is important as it allows considering porous media of any morphology and topology. Beyond fundamental implications, this efficient method allows treating real engineering conditions such as pollutant dispersion or surfactant injection in a flowing liquid in soils and porous rocks.

We present a study of the exclusion process on a peculiar topology of network with two intersecting lanes, competing for the particles in a reservoir with finite capacity. To provide a theoretical ground for our findings, we exploit mean-field approximation along with domain-wall theory. The stationary properties of the system, including phase transitions, density profiles, and position of the domain wall are derived analytically. Under the similar dynamical rules, the particles of both lanes interact only at the intersected site. The symmetry of the system is maintained until the number of particles do not exceed the total number of sites. However, beyond this, the symmetry breaking phenomenon occurs, resulting in the appearance of asymmetric phases and continues to persist even for an infinite number of particles. The complexity of the phase diagram shows a nonmonotonic behavior with an increasing number of particles in the system. A bulk induced shock appears in a symmetric phase, whereas, a boundary induced shock is observed in the symmetric as well as the asymmetric phase. Monitoring the location of localized shock with increasing entry of particles, we explain the possible phase transitions. The theoretical results are supported by extensive Monte Carlo simulations and explained using simple physical arguments.

An approach for the description of stochastic systems is derived. Some of the variables in the system are studied forward in time, others backward in time. The approach is based on a perturbation expansion in the strength of the coupling between forward and backward variables, and it is well suited for situations in which initial and final conditions are imposed on different components of the system, and the coupling between those components is weak. The form of the stochastic equations in our approach is determined by requiring that they generate the same statistics obtained in a forward description of the dynamics. Numerical tests are carried out on a few simple two-degrees-of-freedom systems. The merit and the difficulties of the approach are discussed and compared to more traditional strategies based on transition path sampling and simple shooting algorithms.

We study the effects of gauge-symmetry breaking (GSB) perturbations in three-dimensional lattice gauge theories with scalar fields. We study this issue at transitions in which gauge correlations are not critical and the gauge symmetry only selects the gauge-invariant scalar degrees of freedom that become critical. A paradigmatic model in which this behavior is realized is the lattice ${\mathrm{CP}}^1$ model or, more generally, the lattice Abelian-Higgs model with two-component complex scalar fields and compact gauge fields. We consider this model in the presence of a linear GSB perturbation. The gauge symmetry turns out to be quite robust with respect to the GSB perturbation: the continuum limit is gauge invariant also in the presence of a finite small GSB term. We also determine the phase diagram of the model. It has one disordered phase and two phases that are tensor and vector ordered, respectively. They are separated by continuous transition lines, which belong to the O(3), O(4), and O(2) vector universality classes, and which meet at a multicritical point. We remark that the behavior at the ${\mathrm{CP}}^1$ gauge-symmetric critical point substantially differs from that at transitions in which gauge correlations become critical, for instance at transitions in the noncompact lattice Abelian-Higgs model that are controlled by the charged fixed point: in this case, the behavior is extremely sensitive to GSB perturbations.

We derive a quantum kinetic equation under discrete impurities for the Wigner function from the quantum Liouville equation. To attain this goal, the electrostatic Coulomb potential is separated into the long- and short-range parts, and the self-consistent coupling with Poisson's equation is explicitly taken into account within the analytical framework. It is shown that the collision integral associated with impurity scattering as well as the usual drift term is derived on an equal footing. As a result, we find that the conventional treatment of impurity scattering under the Wigner function scheme is inconsistent in the sense that the collision integral is introduced in an ad hoc way and, thus, the short-range part of the impurity potential is double-counted. The Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) is then derived without imposing the assumption of random impurity configurations over the substrate. The derived BTE would be applicable to describe the discrete nature of impurities such as potential fluctuations.

Pseudoboiling in supercritical fluid (SF) has been paid great attention in recent years. Available works mainly focus on thermodynamics analysis. Fewer studies were reported on the spatial time phase distribution. Here, SF is investigated in a multiphase fluid framework using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A simulation box contains 10 976 argon atoms, with periodic boundary conditions applied on all the box surfaces. Pressure and temperature are well controlled. Based on MD simulation results, an onset pseudoboiling temperature $T^{-}$ and a termination pseudoboiling temperature $T^{+}$ are defined using the neighboring molecules method, the radial distribution function method, and the two-body excess entropy method. The two transition temperatures divide the whole phase diagram into three regimes of liquidlike, two-phase-like (TPL), and gaslike, and the MD determined $T^{-}$ and $T^{+}$ well matched the thermodynamics-determined values. In the TPL regime, nanovoids are observed to have two distinct characteristics: (1) Particles are sparsely distributed to have gas density inside the void, but are densely populated to have liquid density outside the void. (2) Voids have a curved interface. These characteristics are very similar to bubble characteristics in subcritical pressure. Hence, voids in the supercritical state are called “bubblelike” in this paper. Nonlinear dynamics demonstrates chaotic behavior in the TPL regime, similar to the two-phase regime in the subcritical domain. The above findings give strong evidence that SF in the TPL regime consists of a mixture of bubblelike voids and surrounding liquids. Our work highlights the multiphase feature of a SF, hence, the well-established multiphase theory in subcritical pressures can be introduced to handle the complex SF.

We systematically construct a series of vector solitary waves in harmonically trapped one-dimensional three-, four-, and five-component Bose-Einstein condensates. These stationary states are continued in chemical potentials from the analytically tractable low-density linear limit of respective states, as independent linear quantum harmonic oscillator states, to the high-density nonlinear Thomas-Fermi regime. A systematic interpolation procedure is proposed to achieve this sequential continuation via a trajectory in the multidimensional space of the chemical potentials. The Bogoliubov–de Gennes spectral analysis shows that all of the states considered herein can be fully stabilized in suitable chemical potential intervals in the Thomas-Fermi regime. Finally, we present some typical $\text{SU}\left(n\right)$-rotation-induced and driving-induced dynamics. This method can be extended to higher dimensions and shows significant promise for finding a wide range of solitary waves ahead.

Weakly nonintegrable many-body systems can restore ergodicity in distinctive ways depending on the range of the interaction network in action space. Action resonances seed chaotic dynamics into the networks. Long-range networks provide well connected resonances with ergodization controlled by the individual resonance chaos time scales. Short-range networks instead yield a dramatic slowing down of ergodization in action space, and lead to rare resonance diffusion. We use Josephson junction chains as a paradigmatic study case. We exploit finite time average distributions to characterize the thermalizing dynamics of actions. We identify an action resonance diffusion regime responsible for the slowing down. We extract the diffusion coefficient of that slow process and measure its dependence on the proximity to the integrable limit. Independent measures of correlation functions confirm our findings. The observed fragile diffusion is relying on weakly chaotic dynamics in spatially isolated action resonances. It can be suppressed, and ergodization delayed, by adding weak action noise, as a proof of concept.

We study the pair interaction of charged silica microrods in chiral nematic liquid crystals and show that the microrods with homeotropic surface anchoring form a bound state due to the competing effect of electrostatic (Coulomb) and elastic interactions. The robustness of the bound state is demonstrated by applying external electrical and mechanical forces that perturbs their equilibrium position as well as orientation. In the bound state we have measured the correlated thermal fluctuations of the position, using two-particle cross-correlation spectroscopy that uncovers their hydrodynamic interaction. These findings reveal unexplored aspects of liquid-crystal dispersions which are important for understanding the assembly and dynamics of nano- and microparticles in chiral nematic liquid crystals.

We investigate the mechanical response of jammed packings of circulo-lines in two spatial dimensions, interacting via purely repulsive, linear spring forces, as a function of pressure $P$ during athermal, quasistatic isotropic compression. The surface of a circulo-line is defined as the collection of points that is equidistant to a line; circulo-lines are composed of a rectangular central shaft with two semicircular end caps. Prior work has shown that the ensemble-averaged shear modulus for jammed disk packings scales as a power law, $\langle G\left(P\right)\rangle \sim P^{\beta }$, with $\beta \sim 0.5$, over a wide range of pressure. For packings of circulo-lines, we also find robust power-law scaling of $\langle G\left(P\right)\rangle$ over the same range of pressure for aspect ratios $\mathcal{R}\gtrsim 1.2$. However, the power-law scaling exponent $\beta \sim 0.8$–0.9 is much larger than that for jammed disk packings. To understand the origin of this behavior, we decompose $\langle G\rangle$ into separate contributions from geometrical families, $G_f$, and from changes in the interparticle contact network, $G_r$, such that $\langle G\rangle =\langle G_f\rangle +\langle G_r\rangle$. We show that the shear modulus for low-pressure geometrical families for jammed packings of circulo-lines can both increase and decrease with pressure, whereas the shear modulus for low-pressure geometrical families for jammed disk packings only decreases with pressure. For this reason, the geometrical family contribution $\langle G_f\rangle$ is much larger for jammed packings of circulo-lines than for jammed disk packings at finite pressure, causing the increase in the power-law scaling exponent for $\langle G\left(P\right)\rangle$.