A formalism, called H-theory, is applied to the problem of statistical equilibrium of a hierarchical complex system with multiple time and length scales. In this approach, the system is formally treated as being composed of a small subsystem—representing the region where the measurements are made—in contact with a set of “nested heat reservoirs” corresponding to the hierarchical structure of the system, where the temperatures of the reservoirs are allowed to fluctuate owing to the complex interactions between degrees of freedom at different scales. The probability distribution function (pdf) of the temperature of the reservoir at a given scale, conditioned on the temperature of the reservoir at the next largest scale in the hierarchy, is determined from a maximum entropy principle subject to appropriate constraints that describe the thermal equilibrium properties of the system. The marginal temperature distribution of the innermost reservoir is obtained by integrating over the conditional distributions of all larger scales, and the resulting pdf is written in analytical form in terms of certain special transcendental functions, known as the Fox $H$ functions. The distribution of states of the small subsystem is then computed by averaging the quasiequilibrium Boltzmann distribution over the temperature of the innermost reservoir. This distribution can also be written in terms of $H$ functions. The general family of distributions reported here recovers, as particular cases, the stationary distributions recently obtained by Macêdo et al. [Phys. Rev. E 95, 032315 (2017)] from a stochastic dynamical approach to the problem.

Motivated by the wide occurrence of limited resources in many real-life systems, we investigate two-lane totally asymmetric simple exclusion process with constrained entrances under finite supply of particles. We analyze the system within the framework of mean-field theory and examine various complex phenomena, including phase separation, phase transition, and symmetry breaking. Based on the theoretical analysis, we analytically derive the phase boundaries for various symmetric as well as asymmetric phases. It has been observed that the symmetry-breaking phenomenon initiates even for very small number of particles in the system. The phases with broken symmetry originates as shock-low density phase under limited resources, which is in contrast to the scenario with infinite number of particles. As expected, the symmetry breaking continues to persist even for higher values of system particles. Seven stationary phases are observed, with three of them exhibiting symmetry-breaking phenomena. The critical values of a total number of system particles, beyond which various symmetrical and asymmetrical phases appear and disappear are identified. Theoretical outcomes are supported by extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, the size-scaling effect and symmetry-breaking phenomenon on the simulation results have also been examined based on particle density histograms.

Following an idea by Joyner et al. [Europhys. Lett. 107, 50004 (2014)], a microwave graph with antiunitary symmetry $\mathcal{T}$ obeying ${\mathcal{T}}^2=-1$ has been realized, thus mimicking a spin-1/2 system. The Kramers doublets expected for such systems have been clearly identified and could be lifted by a perturbation which breaks the antiunitary symmetry. The observed spectral level-spacing distribution of the Kramers doublets agreed with the predictions from the Gaussian symplectic ensemble (GSE), expected for chaotic systems with such a symmetry. In addition, we studied the random matrix equivalents of the used graphs both analytically and numerically. Here small deviations from the GSE level-spacing distribution were found, too small to be seen in the experiment but clearly visible in the simulations. Furthermore, results on the two-point correlation function, the spectral form factor, the number variance, and the spectral rigidity are presented, as well as on the transition from Gaussian symplectic to Gaussian orthogonal statistics by continuously changing $\mathcal{T}$ from ${\mathcal{T}}^2=-1$ to ${\mathcal{T}}^2=1$.

Solitary waves (SWs) are generated in monoatomic (homogeneous) lightly contacting spherical granules by an applied input force of any time-variation and intensity. We consider finite duration shock loads on one-dimensional arrays of granules and focus on the transition regime that leads to the formation of SWs. Based on geometrical and material properties of the granules and the properties of the input shock, we provide explicit analytic expressions to calculate the peak value of the compressive contact force at each contact point in the transition regime that precedes the formation of a primary solitary wave. We also provide explicit expressions to estimate the number of granules involved in the transition regime and show its dependence on the characteristics of the input shock and material/geometrical properties of the interacting granules. Finally, we assess the accuracy of our theoretical results by comparing them with those obtained through numerical integration of the equations of motion.

A detailed study of the effects of excitability of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction on spiral wave properties has been carried out. Using the Oregonator model, we explore the various regimes of wave activity, from sustained oscillations to wave damping, as the system undergoes a Hopf bifurcation, that is achieved by varying the excitability parameter, $\epsilon$. We also discover a short range of parameter values where random oscillations are observed. With an increase in the value of $\epsilon$, the frequency of the wave decreases exponentially, as the dimension of the spiral core expands. These numerical results are confirmed by carrying out experiments in thin layers of the BZ system, where the excitability is changed by varying the concentrations of the reactant species. Effect of reactant concentrations on wave properties like time period and wavelength are also explored in detail. Drifting and meandering spirals are found in the parameter space under investigation, with the excitability affecting the tip trajectory in a way predicted by the numerical studies. This study acts as a quantitative evidence of the relationship between the excitability parameter, $\epsilon$, and the substrate concentrations.

Complex networks hosting binary-state dynamics arise in a variety of contexts. In spite of previous works, to fully reconstruct the network structure from observed binary data remains challenging. We articulate a statistical inference based approach to this problem. In particular, exploiting the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm, we develop a method to ascertain the neighbors of any node in the network based solely on binary data, thereby recovering the full topology of the network. A key ingredient of our method is the maximum-likelihood estimation of the probabilities associated with actual or nonexistent links, and we show that the EM algorithm can distinguish the two kinds of probability values without any ambiguity, insofar as the length of the available binary time series is reasonably long. Our method does not require any a priori knowledge of the detailed dynamical processes, is parameter-free, and is capable of accurate reconstruction even in the presence of noise. We demonstrate the method using combinations of distinct types of binary dynamical processes and network topologies, and provide a physical understanding of the underlying reconstruction mechanism. Our statistical inference based reconstruction method contributes an additional piece to the rapidly expanding “toolbox” of data based reverse engineering of complex networked systems.

Magnetic colloidal clusters can form chain, ring, and more compact structures depending on their size. In the present investigation we examine the combined effects of temperature and external magnetic field on these configurations by means of extensive Monte Carlo simulations and a dedicated analysis based on inherent structures. Various thermodynamical, geometric, and magnetic properties are calculated and altogether provide evidence for possibly multiple structural transitions at low external magnetic field. Temperature effects are found to overcome the ordering effect of the external field, the melted stated being associated with low magnetization and a greater compactness. Tentative phase diagrams are proposed for selected sizes.

The self-propelled microswimmers have recently attracted considerable attention as model systems for biological cell migration as well as artificial micromachines. A simple and well-studied microswimmer model consists of three identical spherical beads joined by two springs in a linear fashion with active oscillatory forces being applied on the beads to generate self-propulsion. We have extended this linear microswimmer configuration to a triangular geometry where the three beads are connected by three identical springs in an equilateral triangular manner. The active forces acting on each spring can lead to autonomous steering motion; i.e., allowing the swimmer to move along arbitrary paths. We explore the microswimmer dynamics analytically and pinpoint its rich character depending on the nature of the active forces. The microswimmers can translate along a straight trajectory, rotate at a fixed location, as well as perform a simultaneous translation and rotation resulting in complex curved trajectories. The sinusoidal active forces on the three springs of the microswimmer contain naturally four operating parameters which are more than required for the steering motion. We identify the minimal operating parameters which are essential for the motion of the microswimmer along any given arbitrary trajectory. Therefore, along with providing insights into the mechanics of the complex motion of the natural and artificial microswimmers, the triangular three-bead microswimmer can be utilized as a model for targeted drug delivery systems and autonomous underwater vehicles where intricate trajectories are involved.

We present an efficient point-particle approach to simulate reaction-diffusion processes of spherical absorbing particles in the diffusion-limited regime, as simple models of cellular uptake. The exact solution for a single absorber is used to calibrate the method, linking the numerical parameters to the physical particle radius and uptake rate. We study the configurations of multiple absorbers of increasing complexity to examine the performance of the method by comparing our simulations with available exact analytical or numerical results. We demonstrate the potential of the method to resolve the complex diffusive interactions, here quantified by the Sherwood number, measuring the uptake rate in terms of that of isolated absorbers. We implement the method in a pseudospectral solver that can be generalized to include fluid motion and fluid-particle interactions. As a test case of the presence of a flow, we consider the uptake rate by a particle in a linear shear flow. Overall, our method represents a powerful and flexible computational tool that can be employed to investigate many complex situations in biology, chemistry, and related sciences.

It has been suggested that bubble-wall velocities cannot exceed the sound speed in the liquid at the bubble wall [K. Yasui, Phys. Rev. E 64, 016310 (2001).]. Here we show that this upper bound was derived omitting the partial derivatives with respect to time, i.e., assuming that the flow was in the steady state. For collapsing bubbles, however, the steady-flow assumption requires justification, as the partial time derivatives appear to have the same orders of magnitude as the other terms in Euler's and the continuity equations. Furthermore, numerical solutions of the hydrodynamic equations with a hyades hydrocode yielded supersonic velocities in the liquid at and near the collapsing bubble. We also show the spatial distributions of pressure, density, sound speed, and mass flux density around the supersonically collapsing bubble.

Nonlinear classical dissipative systems present a rich phenomenology in their “route to chaos,” including period doubling, i.e., the system evolves with a period which is twice that of the driving. However, typically the attractor of a periodically driven quantum open system evolves with a period which exactly matches that of the driving. Here, we analyze a periodically driven many-body open quantum system whose classical correspondent presents period doubling. We show that by studying the dynamical correlations, it is possible to show the occurrence of period doubling in the quantum (period-one) steady state. We also discuss that such systems are natural candidates for clean and intrinsically robust Floquet time crystals.

We introduce a guided network growth model, which we call the degree product rule process, that uses solely local information when adding new edges. For small numbers of candidate edges our process gives rise to a second-order phase transition, but becomes first order in the limit of global choice. We provide the set of critical exponents required to characterize the nature of this percolation transition. Such a process permits interventions which can delay the onset of percolation while tempering the explosiveness caused by cluster product rule processes.

The dynamics of concentrated suspensions of the eye-lens protein alpha crystallin have been measured using x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. Measurements were made at wave vectors corresponding to the first peak in the hard-sphere structure factor and volume fractions close to the critical volume fraction for the glass transition. Langevin dynamics simulations were also performed in parallel to the experiments. The intermediate scattering function $f(q,\tau )$ could be fit using a stretched exponential decay for both experiments and numerical simulations. The measured relaxation times show good agreement with simulations for polydisperse hard-sphere colloids.

We derive a general closed expression for the local pressure exerted onto the corrugated walls of a channel confining a fluid medium. When the fluid medium is at equilibrium, the local pressure is a functional of the shape of the walls. It is shown that, due to the intrinsic nonlocal character of the interactions among the particles forming the fluid, the applicability of approximate schemes such as the concept of a surface of tension or morphometric thermodynamics is limited to wall curvatures that are small compared to the range of particle-particle interactions.

The transport of particles in very confined channels in which single file diffusion occurs has been largely studied in systems where the transverse confining potential is smooth. However, in actual physical systems, this potential may exhibit both static corrugations and time fluctuations. Some recent results suggest the important role played by this nonsmoothness of the confining potential. In particular, quite surprisingly, an enhancement of the Brownian motion of the particles has been evidenced in these kinds of systems. We show that this enhancement results from the commensurate effects induced by the underlying potential on the vibrational spectra of the chain of particles, and from the effective temperature associated with its time fluctuations. We will restrict our derivation to the case of low temperatures for which the mean squared displacement of the particles remains smaller than the potential period.

We study the effect of many-body quantum interference on the dynamics of coupled periodically kicked systems whose classical dynamics is chaotic and shows an unbounded energy increase. We specifically focus on an $N$-coupled kicked rotors model: We find that the interplay of quantumness and interactions dramatically modifies the system dynamics, inducing a transition between energy saturation and unbounded energy increase. We discuss this phenomenon both numerically and analytically through a mapping onto an $N$-dimensional Anderson model. The thermodynamic limit $N\to \infty$, in particular, always shows unbounded energy growth. This dynamical delocalization is genuinely quantum and very different from the classical one: Using a mean-field approximation, we see that the system self-organizes so that the energy per site increases in time as a power law with exponent smaller than 1. This wealth of phenomena is a genuine effect of quantum interference: The classical system for $N\ge 2$ always behaves ergodically with an energy per site linearly increasing in time. Our results show that quantum mechanics can deeply alter the regularity or ergodicity properties of a many-body-driven system.

We study the dynamics of a Josephson junction connected to a dc current supply via a distributed parameter capacitor, which serves as a resonator. We reveal multistability in the current-voltage characteristic of the system; this multistability is related to resonances between the generated frequency and the resonator. The resonant pattern requires detailed consideration, in particular, because its basic features may resemble those of patterns reported in experiments with arrays of Josephson junctions demonstrating coherent stimulated emission. From the viewpoint of nonlinear dynamics, the resonances between a Josephson junction and a resonator are of interest because of the specificity of the former; its oscillation frequency is directly governed by control parameters of the system and can vary in a wide range. Our analytical results are in good agreement with the results of numerical simulations.

DNA translocation through nanopores is one of the most promising strategies for next-generation sequencing technologies. Most experimental and numerical works have focused on polymer translocation biased by electrophoresis, where a pulling force acts on the polymer within the nanopore. An alternative strategy, however, is emerging, which uses optical or magnetic tweezers. In this case, the pulling force is exerted directly at one end of the polymer, which strongly modifies the translocation process. In this paper, we report numerical simulations of both linear and structured (mimicking DNA) polymer models, simple enough to allow for a statistical treatment of the pore structure effects on the translocation time probability distributions. Based on extremely extended computer simulation data, we (i) propose scaling arguments for an extension of the predicted translocation times $\tau \sim N^2{F}^{-1}$ over the moderate forces range and (ii) analyze the effect of pore size and polymer structuration on translocation times $\tau$.

An exact result concerning the energy transfers between nonlinear waves of a thin elastic plate is derived. Following Kolmogorov's original ideas in hydrodynamical turbulence, but applied to the Föppl–von Kármán equation for thin plates, the corresponding Kármán-Howarth-Monin relation and an equivalent of the $\frac{4}{5}$-Kolmogorov's law is derived. A third-order structure function involving increments of the amplitude, velocity, and the Airy stress function of a plate, is proven to be equal to $-\varepsilon \ell$, where $\ell$ is a length scale in the inertial range at which the increments are evaluated and $\varepsilon$ the energy dissipation rate. Numerical data confirm this law. In addition, a useful definition of the energy fluxes in Fourier space is introduced and proven numerically to be flat in the inertial range. The exact results derived in this Rapid Communication are valid for both weak and strong wave turbulence. They could be used as a theoretical benchmark of new wave-turbulence theories and to develop further analogies with hydrodynamical turbulence.