Research in Statistical Physics

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

0138697 Dorfman The proposed research will be devoted to further studies on the foundation of the theory of irreversible processes in fluid systems. Such processes include viscous and thermal flows as well as diffusive motion, chemical reactions, in both classical and quantum systems. Recent work by the PI and co-workers has shown that for most systems of interest, there is an underlying chaotic dynamics which can be viewed as the source of the irreversibility. The sensitivity of the motion of a chaotic system of particles to the precise values of the initial conditions of the particles reflects itself as an apparent randomness in the dynamics of the system. Current research is devoted to a study of entropy production and related irreversible phenomena in classically chaotic systems, as well as to the quantum mechanical versions of the systems and their processes. This latter direction is stimulated in part by recent work by many authors on the quantum behavior of classically chaotic systems which can be fruitfully applied to a study of irreversibility in quantum systems. Finally, work will be carried out to determine the analogous properties of non-chaotic systems, or of mixed chaotic and non-chaotic systems, with transport to study the modifications of the theory needed to treat such systems, as well.