The Physics Of Chaos In Hamiltonian Systems

This book aims to familiarize the reader with the essential properties of the chaotic dynamics of Hamiltonian systems by avoiding specialized mathematical tools, thus making it easily accessible to a broader audience of researchers and students. Unique material on the most intriguing and fascinating topics of unsolved and current problems in contemporary chaos theory is presented. The coverage includes: separatrix chaos; properties and a description of systems with non-ergodic dynamics; the distribution of Poincar‚ recurrences and their role in transport theory; dynamical models of the Maxwell's Demon, the occurrence of persistent fluctuations, and a detailed discussion of their role in the problem underlying the foundation of statistical physics; the emergence of stochastic webs in phase space and their link to space tiling with periodic (crystal type) and aperiodic (quasi-crystal type) symmetries. This second edition expands on pseudochaotic dynamics with weak mixing and the new phenomenon of fractional kinetics, which is crucial to the transport properties of chaotic motion. The book is ideally suited to all those who are actively working on the problems of dynamical chaos as well as to those looking for new inspiration in this area. It introduces the physicist to the world of Hamiltonian chaos and the mathematician to actual physical problems.The material can also be used by graduate students.

The dynamics of realistic Hamiltonian systems has unusual microscopic features that are direct consequences of its fractional space-time structure and its phase space topology. The book deals with the fractality of the chaotic dynamics and kinetics, and also includes material on non-ergodic and non-well-mixing Hamiltonian dynamics. The book does not follow the traditional scheme of most of today's literature on chaos. The intention of the author has been to put together some of the most complex and yet open problems on the general theory of chaotic systems. The importance of the discussed issues and an understanding of their origin should inspire students and researchers to touch upon some of the deepest aspects of nonlinear dynamics. The book considers the basic principles of the Hamiltonian theory of chaos and some applications including for example, the cooling of particles and signals, control and erasing of chaos, polynomial complexity, Maxwell's Demon, and others. It presents a new and realistic image of the origin of dynamical chaos and randomness. An understanding of the origin of randomness in dynamical systems, which cannot be of the same origin as chaos, provides new insights in the diverse fields of physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering.

This volume contains invited papers and contributions delivered at the International Conference on Hamiltonian Mechanics: Integrability and Chaotic Behaviour, held in Tornn, Poland during the summer of 1993. The conference was supported by the NATO Scientific and Environmental Affairs Division as an Advanced Research Workshop. In fact, it was the first scientific conference in all Eastern Europe supported by NATO. The meeting was expected to establish contacts between East and West experts as well as to study the current state of the art in the area of Hamiltonian Mechanics and its applications. I am sure that the informal atmosphere of the city of Torun, the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus, stimulated many valuable scientific exchanges. The first idea for this cnference was carried out by Prof Andrzej J. Maciejewski and myself, more than two years ago, during his visit in Greece. It was planned for about forty well-known scientists from East and West. At that time participation of a scientist from Eastern Europe in an Organising Committee of a NATO Conference was not allowed. But always there is the first time. Our plans for such a "small" conference, as a first attempt in the new European situation -the Europe without borders -quickly passed away. The names of our invited speakers, authorities in their field, were a magnet for many colleagues from all over the world.

Hamiltonian Systems outlines the main results in the field, and considers the implications for quantum mechanics.

This book aims to familiarize the reader with the essential properties of the chaotic dynamics of Hamiltonian systems by avoiding specialized mathematical tools, thus making it easily accessible to a broader audience of researchers and students. Unique material on the most intriguing and fascinating topics of unsolved and current problems in contemporary chaos theory is presented. The coverage includes: separatrix chaos; properties and a description of systems with non-ergodic dynamics; the distribution of Poincaré recurrences and their role in transport theory; dynamical models of the Maxwell's Demon, the occurrence of persistent fluctuations, and a detailed discussion of their role in the problem underlying the foundation of statistical physics; the emergence of stochastic webs in phase space and their link to space tiling with periodic (crystal type) and aperiodic (quasi-crystal type) symmetries. This second edition expands on pseudochaotic dynamics with weak mixing and the new phenomenon of fractional kinetics, which is crucial to the transport properties of chaotic motion. The book is ideally suited to all those who are actively working on the problems of dynamical chaos as well as to those looking for new inspiration in this area. It introduces the physicist to the world of Hamiltonian chaos and the mathematician to actual physical problems.The material can also be used by graduate students. Contents:Discrete and Continuous ModelsSeparatrix ChaosThe Phase Space of ChaosNonlinearity Versus PerturbationFractals and ChaosPoincaré Recurrences and Fractal TimeChaos and Foundation of Statistical PhysicsChaos and SymmetryMore Degrees of FreedomNormal and Anomalous KineticsFractional KineticsWeak Chaos and Pseudochaos Readership: Graduate students and researchers in physics, mathematics, engineering, chemistry and biophysics. Keywords:Billiards;Separatrix Chaos;Fractal Properties;Stochastic Webs;Kinetics;Chaotic DynamicsKey Features:New sections on the islands in stochastic sea, billiards, persistent fluctuations, and log-periodicityIncludes a new chapter on weak chaos and pseudochaosUseful for graduate and undergraduate courses on the theory of chaosReviews:Reviews of the First Edition:“George Zaslavsky develops ‘fractional kinetics’ in an attempt to give a smoothed, but nondiffusive, description. This phenomenological description captures some aspects of the stickiness of islands, but I believe its mathematical justification remains elusive. Perhaps that is an excellent reason to read this book.”Nature “The book is useful for scientists who are actively working on the problems of dynamical chaos … The material can also be used as a textbook for a graduate course on new and emerging directions in Hamiltonian chaos theory.”Zentralblatt MATH

This book offers a short and concise introduction to the many facets of chaos theory. While the study of chaotic behavior in nonlinear, dynamical systems is a well-established research field with ramifications in all areas of science, there is a lot to be learnt about how chaos can be controlled and, under appropriate conditions, can actually be constructive in the sense of becoming a control parameter for the system under investigation, stochastic resonance being a prime example. The present work stresses the latter aspects and, after recalling the paradigm changes introduced by the concept of chaos, leads the reader skillfully through the basics of chaos control by detailing the relevant algorithms for both Hamiltonian and dissipative systems, among others. The main part of the book is then devoted to the issue of synchronization in chaotic systems, an introduction to stochastic resonance, and a survey of ratchet models. In this second, revised and enlarged edition, two more chapters explore the many interfaces of quantum physics and dynamical systems, examining in turn statistical properties of energy spectra, quantum ratchets, and dynamical tunneling, among others. This text is particularly suitable for non-specialist scientists, engineers, and applied mathematical scientists from related areas, wishing to enter the field quickly and efficiently. From the reviews of the first edition: This book is an excellent introduction to the key concepts and control of chaos in (random) dynamical systems [...] The authors find an outstanding balance between main physical ideas and mathematical terminology to reach their audience in an impressive and lucid manner. This book is ideal for anybody who would like to grasp quickly the main issues related to chaos in discrete and continuous time. Henri Schurz, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1178, 2010.

“Hamiltonian Chaos Beyond the KAM Theory: Dedicated to George M. Zaslavsky (1935—2008)” covers the recent developments and advances in the theory and application of Hamiltonian chaos in nonlinear Hamiltonian systems. The book is dedicated to Dr. George Zaslavsky, who was one of three founders of the theory of Hamiltonian chaos. Each chapter in this book was written by well-established scientists in the field of nonlinear Hamiltonian systems. The development presented in this book goes beyond the KAM theory, and the onset and disappearance of chaos in the stochastic and resonant layers of nonlinear Hamiltonian systems are predicted analytically, instead of qualitatively. The book is intended for researchers in the field of nonlinear dynamics in mathematics, physics and engineering. Dr. Albert C.J. Luo is a Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, USA. Dr. Valentin Afraimovich is a Professor at San Luis Potosi University, Mexico.