Diego F. M. Oliveira

Fermi acceleration and its suppression in a time-dependent Lorentz gas

Abstract Some dynamical properties for a Lorentz gas were studied considering both static and time-dependent boundaries. For the static case, it was confirmed that the system has a chaotic component characterized with a positive Lyapunov exponent. For the time-dependent perturbation, the model was described using a four-dimensional nonlinear map. The behaviour of the average velocity is considered in two different situations: (i) non-dissipative and (ii) dissipative dynamics. Our results confirm that unlimited energy growth is observed for the non-dissipative case. However, and totally new for this model, when dissipation via inelastic collisions is introduced, the scenario changes and the unlimited energy growth is suppressed, thus leading to a phase transition from unlimited to limited energy growth. The behaviour of the average velocity is described using scaling arguments.

In-flight dissipation as a mechanism to suppress Fermi acceleration.

Some dynamical properties of time-dependent driven elliptical-shaped billiards are studied. It was shown that for conservative time-dependent dynamics the model exhibits Fermi acceleration [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 014103 (2008).] On the other hand, it was observed that damping coefficients upon collisions suppress such a phenomenon [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 224101 (2010)]. Here, we consider a dissipative model under the presence of in-flight dissipation due to a drag force which is assumed to be proportional to the square of the velocity of the particle. Our results reinforce that dissipation leads to a phase transition from unlimited to limited energy growth. The behavior of the average velocity is described using scaling arguments.

Parameter space for a dissipative Fermi–Ulam model

The parameter space for a dissipative bouncing ball model under the effect of inelastic collisions is studied. The system is described using a two-dimensional nonlinear area-contracting map. The introduction of dissipation destroys the mixed structure of phase space of the non-dissipative case, leading to the existence of a chaotic attractor and attracting fixed points, which may coexist for certain ranges of control parameters. We have computed the average velocity for the parameter space and made a connection with the parameter space based on the maximum Lyapunov exponent. For both cases, we found an infinite family of self-similar structures of shrimp shape, which correspond to the periodic attractors embedded in a large region that corresponds to the chaotic motion.

Fermi acceleration and scaling properties of a time dependent oval billiard

We consider the phenomenon of Fermi acceleration for a classical particle inside an area with a closed boundary of oval shape. The boundary is considered to be periodically time varying and collisions of the particle with the boundary are assumed to be elastic. It is shown that the breathing geometry causes the particle to experience Fermi acceleration with a growing exponent rather smaller as compared to the no breathing case. Some dynamical properties of the particles velocity are discussed in the framework of scaling analysis.

Shrimp-shape domains in a dissipative kicked rotator

Some dynamical properties for a dissipative kicked rotator are studied. Our results show that when dissipation is taken into account a drastic change happens in the structure of the phase space in the sense that the mixed structure is modified and attracting fixed points and chaotic attractors are observed. A detailed numerical investigation in a two-dimensional parameter space based on the behavior of the Lyapunov exponent is considered. Our results show the existence of infinite self-similar shrimp-shaped structures corresponding to periodic attractors, embedded in a large region corresponding to the chaotic regime.

The Feigenbaum's δ for a High Dissipative Bouncing Ball Model

We have studied a dissipative version of a one-dimensional Fermi accelerator model. The dynamics of the model is described in terms of a two-dimensional, nonlinear area-contracting map. The dissipation is introduced via inelastic collisions of the particle with the walls and we consider the dynamics in the regime of high dissipation. For such a regime, the model exhibits a route to chaos known as period doubling and we obtain a constant along the bifurcations so called the Feigenbaums number d.

In-flight and collisional dissipation as a mechanism to suppress Fermi acceleration in a breathing Lorentz gas.

Some dynamical properties for a time dependent Lorentz gas considering both the dissipative and non dissipative dynamics are studied. The model is described by using a four-dimensional nonlinear mapping. For the conservative dynamics, scaling laws are obtained for the behavior of the average velocity for an ensemble of non interacting particles and the unlimited energy growth is confirmed. For the dissipative case, four different kinds of damping forces are considered namely: (i) restitution coefficient which makes the particle experiences a loss of energy upon collisions; and in-flight dissipation given by (ii) F=-ηV(2); (iii) F=-ηV(μ) with μ≠1 and μ≠2 and; (iv) F=-ηV, where η is the dissipation parameter. Extensive numerical simulations were made and our results confirm that the unlimited energy growth, observed for the conservative dynamics, is suppressed for the dissipative case. The behaviour of the average velocity is described using scaling arguments and classes of universalities are defined.

Statistical properties of a dissipative kicked system: Critical exponents and scaling invariance

A new universal empirical function that depends on a single critical exponent (acceleration exponent) is proposed to describe the scaling behavior in a dissipative kicked rotator. The scaling formalism is used to describe two regimes of dissipation: (i) strong dissipation and (ii) weak dissipation. For case (i) the model exhibits a route to chaos known as period doubling and the Feigenbaum constant along the bifurcations is obtained. When weak dissipation is considered the average action as well as its standard deviation are described using scaling arguments with critical exponents. The universal empirical function describes remarkably well a phase transition from limited to unlimited growth of the average action.

Influence of boundary conditions on quantum escape

It has recently been established that quantum statistics can play a crucial role in quantum escape. Here we demonstrate that boundary conditions can be equally important —moreover, in certain cases, may lead to a complete suppression of the escape. Our results are exact and hold for arbitrarily many particles.

Scaling Properties of a Hybrid Fermi-Ulam-Bouncer Model

Some dynamical properties for a one-dimensional hybrid Fermi-Ulam-bouncer model are studied under the framework of scaling description. The model is described by using a two-dimensional nonlinear area preserving mapping. Our results show that the chaotic regime below the lowest energy invariant spanning curve is scaling invariant and the obtained critical exponents are used to find a universal plot for the second momenta of the average velocity.