Features of Driven Diffusive Systems
Condensed Matter lunchtime seminar
Features of Driven Diffusive Systems
- Event time: 1:00pm
- Event date: 19th November 2001
- Speaker: Miriam Clincy (University of Edinburgh)
- Location: Room 2511, James Clerk Maxwell Building (JCMB) James Clerk Maxwell Building Peter Guthrie Tait Road Edinburgh EH9 3FD GB
Event details
Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics describe systems in
equilibrium. However, most phenomena occuring in nature are due to
systems being not in equilibrium and can therefore not be described
with these well-understood methods. For the last decades, these
systems have attracted much interest and there exist various approaches
to tackle them, e.g. depending on whether the systems are relaxing
towards equilibrium (e.g. in glasses) or are permanently driven out of
equilibrium by an external field (for example, in the case of conductors in
which a current is driven through the system by an electric field).
I will present a one-dimensional model which can be seen as a prototype for the latter class of problems, so-called driven diffusive systems. Although this model is relatively simple, it shows non-trivial features. Presenting some of my own work, I will discuss the origin of phase transitions and symmetry breaking. [1] D. Mukamel in Soft and Fragile Matter: Nonequilibrium Dynamics, Metastability and Flow, Eds. M. E. Cates and M. R. Evans (Institute of Physics Publishing, Bristol, 2000); condmat/0003424
I will present a one-dimensional model which can be seen as a prototype for the latter class of problems, so-called driven diffusive systems. Although this model is relatively simple, it shows non-trivial features. Presenting some of my own work, I will discuss the origin of phase transitions and symmetry breaking. [1] D. Mukamel in Soft and Fragile Matter: Nonequilibrium Dynamics, Metastability and Flow, Eds. M. E. Cates and M. R. Evans (Institute of Physics Publishing, Bristol, 2000); condmat/0003424
About Condensed Matter lunchtime seminars
This is a weekly series of informal talks given primarily by members of the institute of condensed matter and complex systems, but is also open to members of other groups and external visitors. The aim of the series is to promote discussion and learning of various topics at a level suitable to the broad background of the group. Everyone is welcome to attend..