English

Chopping time of the FPU $\alpha$-model

Statistical Mechanics 2018-03-14 v1 Classical Physics

Abstract

We study, both numerically and analytically, the time needed to observe the breaking of an FPU α\alpha-chain in two or more pieces, starting from an unbroken configuration at a given temperature. It is found that such a "chopping" time is given by a formula that, at low temperatures, is of the Arrhenius-Kramers form, so that the chain does not break up on an observable time-scale. The result explains why the study of the FPU problem is meaningful also in the ill-posed case of the α\alpha-model

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1705.00932,
  title  = {Chopping time of the FPU $\alpha$-model},
  author = {Andrea Carati and Antonio Ponno},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1705.00932},
  year   = {2018}
}