Clément Mouhot

On Landau damping

Going beyond the linearized study has been a longstanding problem in the theory of Landau damping. In this paper we establish exponential Landau damping in analytic regularity. The damping phenomenon is reinterpreted in terms of transfer of regularity between kinetic and spatial variables, rather than exchanges of energy; phase mixing is the driving mechanism. The analysis involves new families of analytic norms, measuring regularity by comparison with solutions of the free transport equation; new functional inequalities; a control of non-linear echoes; sharp “deflection” estimates; and a Newton approximation scheme. Our results hold for any potential no more singular than Coulomb or Newton interaction; the limit cases are included with specific technical effort. As a side result, the stability of homogeneous equilibria of the non-linear Vlasov equation is established under sharp assumptions. We point out the strong analogy with the KAM theory, and discuss physical implications. Finally, we extend these results to some Gevrey (non-analytic) distribution functions.

Quantitative perturbative study of convergence to equilibrium for collisional kinetic models in the torus

For a general class of linear collisional kinetic models in the torus, including in particular the linearized Boltzmann equation for hard spheres, the linearized Landau equation with hard and moderately soft potentials and the semi-classical linearized fermionic and bosonic relaxation models, we prove explicit coercivity estimates on the associated integro-differential operator for some modified Sobolev norms. We deduce the existence of classical solutions near equilibrium for the full nonlinear models associated with explicit regularity bounds, and we obtain explicit estimates on the rate of exponential convergence towards equilibrium in this perturbative setting. The proof is based on a linear energy method which combines the coercivity property of the collision operator in the velocity space with transport effects, in order to deduce coercivity estimates in the whole phase space.

Rate of Convergence to Equilibrium for the Spatially Homogeneous Boltzmann Equation with Hard Potentials

For the spatially homogeneous Boltzmann equation with hard potentials and Grads cutoff (e.g. hard spheres), we give quantitative estimates of exponential convergence to equilibrium, and we show that the rate of exponential decay is governed by the spectral gap for the linearized equation, on which we provide a lower bound. Our approach is based on establishing spectral gap-like estimates valid near the equilibrium, and then connecting the latter to the quantitative nonlinear theory. This leads us to an explicit study of the linearized Boltzmann collision operator in functional spaces larger than the usual linearization setting.

Regularity theory for the spatially homogeneous Boltzmann equation with cut-off

Abstract.We develop the regularity theory of the spatially homogeneous Boltzmann equation with cut-off and hard potentials (for instance, hard spheres), by (i) revisiting the Lp theory to obtain constructive bounds, (ii) establishing propagation of smoothness and singularities, (iii) obtaining estimates on the decay of the singularities of the initial datum. Our proofs are based on a detailed study of the “regularity of the gain operator”. An application to the long-time behavior is presented.

Fast algorithms for computing the boltzmann collision operator

The development of accurate and fast numerical schemes for the five fold Boltzmann collision integral represents a challenging problem in scientific computing. For a particular class of interactions, including the so-called hard spheres model in dimension three, we are able to derive spectral methods that can be evaluated through fast algorithms. These algorithms are based on a suitable representation and approximation of the collision operator. Explicit expressions for the errors in the schemes are given and spectral accuracy is proved. Parallelization properties and adaptivity of the algorithms are also discussed.

Hypocoercivity for linear kinetic equations conserving mass

We develop a new method for proving hypocoercivity for a large class of linear kinetic equations with only one conservation law. Local mass conservation is assumed at the level of the collision kernel, while transport involves a confining potential, so that the solution relaxes towards a unique equilibrium state. Our goal is to evaluate in an appropriately weighted

Spectral gap and coercivity estimates for linearized Boltzmann collision operators without angular cutoff

L^2

Explicit Coercivity Estimates for the Linearized Boltzmann and Landau Operators

norm the exponential rate of convergence to the equilibrium. The method covers various models, ranging from diffusive kinetic equations like Vlasov-Fokker-Planck equations, to scattering models like the linear Boltzmann equation or models with time relaxation collision kernels corresponding to polytropic Gibbs equilibria, including the case of the linear Boltzmann model. In this last case and in the case of Vlasov-Fokker-Planck equations, any linear or superlinear growth of the potential is allowed.

Explicit spectral gap estimates for the linearized Boltzmann and Landau operators with hard potentials

In this paper we prove new constructive coercivity estimates for the Boltzmann collision operator without cutoff, that is for long-range interactions. In particular we give a generalized sufficient condition for the existence of a spectral gap which involves both the growth behavior of the collision kernel at large relative velocities and its singular behavior at grazing and frontal collisions. It provides in particular existence of a spectral gap and estimates on it for interactions deriving from the hard potentials

Fractional Diffusion Limit for Collisional Kinetic Equations

\phi(r) = r^{-(s−1)}