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At least 19 records

Molecular hydrodynamic theory of the velocity autocorrelation function

The velocity autocorrelation function (VACF) encapsulates extensive information about a fluid’s molecular-structural and hydrodynamic properties. We address the following fundamental question: How well can a purely hydrodynamic description recover the molecular features of a fluid as exhibited by the VACF? To this end, we formulate a bona fide hydrodynamic theory of the tagged-particle VACF for simple fluids. Our approach is distinguished from previous efforts in two key ways: collective hydrodynamic modes and tagged-particle self-motion are modeled by linear hydrodynamic equations; the fluid’s spatial velocity power spectrum is identified as a necessary initial condition for the momentum current correlation. This formulation leads to a natural physical interpretation of the VACF as a superposition of products of quasinormal hydrodynamic modes weighted commensurately with the spatial velocity power spectrum, the latter of which appears to physically bridge continuum hydrodynamical behavior and discrete-particle kinetics. The methodology yields VACF calculations quantitatively on par with existing approaches for liquid noble gases and alkali metals. Furthermore, we obtain a new, hydrodynamic form of the self-intermediate scattering function whose description has been extended to low densities where the Schmidt number is of order unity; various calculations are performed for gaseous and supercritical argon to support the general validity of the theory. Excellent quantitative agreement is obtained with recent MD calculations for a dense supercritical Lennard-Jones fluid.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Use of hydrodynamic theory to estimate electrical current redistribution in metals

Using the analogy between hydrodynamic and electrical current flow, we study herein how electrical current density j redistributes and amplifies due to two commonly encountered inhomogeneities in metals. First, we consider flow around a spherical resistive inclusion and find significant j amplification, independent of inclusion size. Hence, even μ m-scale inclusions can affect performance in applications by creating localized regions of enhanced Joule heating. Next, we investigate j redistribution due to surface roughness, idealized as a sinusoidal perturbation with amplitude A and wavelength λ . Theory predicts that j amplification is determined by the ratio A / λ , so that even “smooth” surface finishes (i.e., small A ) can generate significant amplification, if λ is correspondingly small. We compare theory with magnetohydrodynamic simulation to illustrate both the utility and limitations of the steady-state theory.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Hydrodynamic theory of scrambling in chaotic long-range interacting systems

The Fisher-Kolmogorov-Petrovsky-Piskunov (FKPP) equation provides a mean-field theory of out-of-time-ordered commutators in locally interacting quantum chaotic systems at high energy density. In systems with power-law interactions, the corresponding fractional-derivative FKPP equation provides an analogous mean-field theory. However, the fractional FKPP description is potentially subject to strong quantum fluctuation effects, so it is not clear a priori if it provides a suitable effective description for generic chaotic systems with power-law interactions. Here, in this work, we study this problem using a model of coupled quantum dots with interactions decaying as 1/r α , where each dot hosts N degrees of freedom. The large-N limit corresponds to the mean-field description, while quantum fluctuations contributing to the OTOC can be modeled by 1/N corrections consisting of a cutoff function and noise. Within this framework, we show that the parameters of the effective theory can be chosen to reproduce the butterfly light cone scalings previously found for N=1 and generic finite N. In order to reproduce these scalings, the fractional index μ in the FKPP equation needs to be shifted from the naïve value of μ=2⁢α–1 to a renormalized value μ=2⁢α–2. We provide supporting analytic evidence for the cutoff model and numerical confirmation for the full fractional FKPP equation with cutoff and noise.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Relativistic Guiding-Center Motion: Action Principle, Kinetic Theory and Hydrodynamics

We treat the guiding-center dynamics in a varying external Maxwell field using a relativistically covariant action principle which reproduces the known Vandervoort expression for the drift velocity and extends it to curved spacetime. We derive the corresponding kinetic theory and ideal hydrodynamic theory. In contrast to conventional five-equation hydrodynamics, the guiding-center hydrodynamics needs only three equations due to a constraint on the motion across magnetic field. Furthermore, we argue that such a hydrodynamics is applicable to strongly coupled plasmas where kinetic theory fails.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Observation of hydrodynamic plasmons and energy waves in graphene

Thermally excited electrons and holes form a quantum-critical Dirac fluid in ultraclean graphene and their electrodynamic responses are described by a universal hydrodynamic theory. The hydrodynamic Dirac fluid can host intriguing collective excitations distinctively different from those in a Fermi liquid. Here we report the observation of the hydrodynamic plasmon and energy wave in ultraclean graphene. In this study, we use the on-chip terahertz (THz) spectroscopy technique to measure the THz absorption spectra of a graphene microribbon as well as the propagation of the energy wave in graphene close to charge neutrality. We observe a prominent high-frequency hydrodynamic bipolar-plasmon resonance and a weaker low-frequency energy-wave resonance of the Dirac fluid in ultraclean graphene. The hydrodynamic bipolar plasmon is characterized by the antiphase oscillation of massless electrons and holes in graphene. The hydrodynamic energy wave is an electron-hole sound mode with both charge carriers oscillating in phase and moving together. The spatial–temporal imaging technique shows that the energy wave propagates at a characteristic speed of $V_f$ / $ \sqrt2$ near the charge neutrality. Our observations open new opportunities to explore collective hydrodynamic excitations in graphene systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Perturbative approaches in relativistic kinetic theory and the emergence of first-order hydrodynamics

Hydrodynamics can be formulated in terms of a perturbative series in derivatives of the temperature, chemical potential, and flow velocity around an equilibrium state. Different formulations for this series have been proposed over the years, which consequently led to the development of various hydrodynamic theories. In this work, we discuss the relativistic generalizations of the perturbative expansions put forward by Chapman and Enskog, and Hilbert, using general matching conditions in kinetic theory. This allows us to describe, in a comprehensive way, how different out-of-equilibrium definitions for the hydrodynamic fields affect the development of the hydrodynamic perturbative series. We provide a perturbative method for systematically deriving the hydrodynamic formulation recently proposed by Bemfica, Disconzi, Noronha, and Kovtun (BDNK) from relativistic kinetic theory. The various transport coefficients that appear in BDNK (at first-order) are explicitly computed using a new formulation of the relaxation time approximation for the Boltzmann equation. Assuming Bjorken flow, we also determine the hydrodynamic attractors of BDNK theory and compare the overall hydrodynamic evolution obtained using this formulation with that generated by the Israel-Stewart equations of motion and also kinetic theory.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Schwinger-Keldysh effective action for hydrodynamics with approximate symmetries

We study hydrodynamic theories with approximate symmetries in the recently developed effective action approach on the Schwinger-Keldysh contour. We employ the method of spurious symmetry transformation for small explicit symmetry-breaking parameters to systematically constrain symmetry-breaking effects in the nonequilibrium effective action for hydrodynamics. We apply our method to the hydrodynamic theory of chiral symmetry in quantum chromodynamics at finite temperature and density and its explicit breaking by quark masses. We show that the spurious symmetry and the Kubo-Martin-Schwinger relation dictate that the Ward-Takahashi identity for the axial symmetry, i.e., the partial conservation of axial vector current (PCAC) relation, contains a relaxational term proportional to the axial chemical potential, whose kinetic coefficient is at least of the second order in the quark mass. In the phase where the chiral symmetry is spontaneously broken, and the pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone pions appear as hydrodynamic variables, this relaxation effect is subleading compared to the conventional pion mass term in the PCAC relation, which is of the first order in the quark mass. On the other hand, in the chiral symmetry restored phase, we show that our relaxation term, which is of the second order in the quark mass, becomes the leading contribution to the axial charge relaxation. Therefore, the leading axial charge relaxation mechanism is parametrically different in the quark mass across a chiral phase transition.

Goldstone bosons↗

Superfluids as higher-form anomalies

We recast superfluid hydrodynamics as the hydrodynamic theory of a system with an emergent anomalous higher-form symmetry. The higher-form charge counts the winding planes of the superfluid - its constitutive relation replaces the Josephson relation of conventional superfluid hydrodynamics. This formulation puts all hydrodynamic equations on equal footing. The anomalous Ward identity can be used as an alternative starting point to prove the existence of a Goldstone boson, without reference to spontaneous symmetry breaking. This provides an alternative characterization of Landau phase transitions in terms of higher-form symmetries and their anomalies instead of how the symmetries are realized. This treatment is more general and, in particular, includes the case of BKT transitions. As an application of this formalism we construct the hydrodynamic theories of conventional (0-form) and 1-form superfluids.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

How Snow Aggregate Ellipsoid Shape and Orientation Variability Affects Fall Speed and Self-Aggregation Rates

Snow aggregate shapes and orientations have long been known to exhibit substantial variability. Despite this observed variability, most weather and climate prediction models use fixed power-law functions that deterministically map particle size to mass and fall speed. As such, integrated quantities like precipitation and self-aggregation rates currently ignore nonlinear effects resulting from variation in shape and orientation for aggregates of the same size. This study therefore develops an analytic framework that couples an empirically based bivariate distribution of ellipsoid shapes to classical hydrodynamic theory so as to capture an appropriate dispersion of masses, projected areas, and fall speeds for an assumed size distribution. For a fixed aggregate size, shape variations produce approximately ±0.13 m s -1 standard deviation of fall speed which increases the mass flux fall speed dispersion by more than 100% over traditional microphysics models. This increased fall speed dispersion results predominantly from shape-induced mass dispersion whereas orientation and drag dispersion play a lesser role. Shape variations can increase mass- and reflectivity-weighted fall speeds by up to 60% of traditional models whereas self-aggregation rates can increase by a factor of 100 for very small slope parameters. This implies that aggregate shape variations effectively forestall the theorized onset of fall speed distribution narrowing and subsequent quenching of the aggregation process. As a result, it is likely that secondary ice formation is necessary to prevent an ever decreasing slope parameter. The mathematical theory presented in this study is used to develop simple correction factors for snow forecast and climate models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Stochastic fluctuations in relativistic fluids: Causality, stability, and the information current

We develop a general formalism for introducing stochastic fluctuations around thermodynamic equilibrium which takes into account, for the first time, recent developments in the causality and stability properties of relativistic hydrodynamic theories. The method is valid for any covariantly stable theory of relativistic viscous fluid dynamics derived from a covariant maximum entropy principle. We illustrate the formalism with some applications, showing how it could be used to consistently introduce fluctuations in a model of relativistic heat diffusion and in conformally invariant Israel-Stewart theory in a general hydrodynamic frame. Furthermore, the latter example is used to study the hydrodynamic frame dependence of the symmetric two-point function of fluctuations of the energy-momentum tensor.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Microscopic Theory of Fluctuating Hydrodynamics in Nonlinear Lattices

The theory of fluctuating hydrodynamics has been an important tool for analyzing macroscopic behavior in nonlinear lattices. However, despite its practical success, its microscopic derivation is still incomplete. In this work, we provide the microscopic derivation of fluctuating hydrodynamics, using the coarse-graining and projection technique; the equivalence of ensembles turns out to be critical. The Green-Kubo (GK)-like formula for the bare transport coefficients are presented in a numerically computable form. Our numerical simulations show that the bare transport coefficients exist for a sufficiently large but finite coarse-graining length in the infinite lattice within the framework of the GK-like formula. Finally, this demonstrates that the bare transport coefficients uniquely exist for each physical system.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Hydrodynamics in long-range interacting systems with center-of-mass conservation

In systems with a conserved density, the additional conservation of the center of mass (dipole moment) has been shown to slow down the associated hydrodynamics. At the same time, long-range interactions generally lead to faster transport and information propagation. Here, we explore the competition of these two effects and develop a hydrodynamic theory for long-range center-of-mass-conserving systems. Here we demonstrate that these systems can exhibit a rich dynamical phase diagram containing subdiffusive, diffusive, and superdiffusive behaviors, with continuously varying dynamical exponents. We corroborate our theory by studying quantum lattice models whose emergent hydrodynamics exhibit these phenomena.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Verification study of xRAGE’s multi-ion viscosity model

This report on the adequacy of the plasma viscosity model implemented in LANL’s ASC program code, xRAGE is organized as follows. Section I provides a brief introduction on the kinetic theory which underpins plasma viscosity, and Section II describes how plasma kinetic theory can be used to calculate plasma viscosity coefficients accurate within the hydrodynamic limit. Section III describes the existing model for calculating the plasma viscosity coefficient in xRAGE. Next, Section IV shows tests of the xRAGE viscosity model against established hydrodynamic theory in the case of binary and trinary plasma mixtures.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Physics of the implosion up until the time of ignition in a revolver (triple-shell) capsule

Here, a revolver is designed to have two dynamical fuel implosion stages to reach ignition: a shock phase in which the fuel is pre-heated up until the shock collapses at the capsule center, followed by an adiabatic compression phase to ignition. This picture assumes ideal hydrodynamics. Employing the state-of-the-art, hybrid (kinetic-ion/fluid electron), multi-ion Vlasov-Fokker-Planck code, iFP, along with semi-analytic predictions from ideal hydrodynamics in spherical geometry, we confirm this two phase picture—resolving some outstanding questions in Revolver design along the way. Although we find that shock kinetic effects and non-ideality are present in the course of the implosion, these effects do not change the overall dynamics (which is well described by ideal hydrodynamics theory). Additionally, we put the assumption of adiabaticity, for the post-collapse phase, to the test. Finally, we verify the ideal hydro-conjecture that the shock collapse (fuel) convergence is ~2.12 given a single shock, and we confirm that the convergence is about 2.5 in the case of two shocks—in agreement with previous radiation-hydrodynamics simulations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Spatiotemporal mapping of mesoscopic liquid dynamics

The study of liquid dynamics at mesoscopic scales is still strewn with difficulty due to limitations in theory and experiment. Historically, significant attention has been given to the analysis of space-time correlation functions and their frequency-Fourier transforms at a few discrete wave numbers. The massive computing power afforded by modern high performance computing clusters and the advent of a wide-angle neutron spin-echo spectrometer, however, have unlocked a more intuitive and fruitful approach to this problem. Using molecular dynamics simulations, here we demonstrate the benefits of spatiotemporally mapping intermediate scattering functions on a dense grid of correlation times and wave numbers. Four model systems are investigated: a Lennard-Jones liquid, a coarse-grained bead-spring polymer, a molten sodium chloride, and a poly(ethylene oxide) melt. We show that the spatiotemporal mapping approach is particularly useful for elucidating the mesoscopic dynamics in these liquids, where several underlying mechanisms, such as molecular relaxations, hydrodynamic modes, and nonhydrodynamic excitations, are potentially at play. Therefore, compared to the traditional method, direct visualization of density space-time correlation functions on two-dimensional color maps permits appraisals of complicated dynamical behavior at mesoscales in a global manner. For example, the scaling relations between space and time for different types of molecular motions can be straightforwardly identified on these plots, without any model-dependent analysis. Additionally, we show how theoretical ideas regarding collective mesoscopic dynamics, such as the classical hydrodynamic theory, the convolution approximation, and a recently proposed phenomenological model, can be discussed in terms of the global features of spatiotemporal maps of intermediate scattering functions. The new perspective offered by the spatiotemporal mapping method should prove useful for the study of liquid dynamics in general.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗