Experimental perspectives for systems based on long-range interactions

Year: 2010

Authors: Bachelard R., Manos T., De Buyl P., Staniscia F., Cataliotti F.S., De Ninno G., Fanelli D., Piovella N.

Autors Affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska 11c, SI-5270 Ajdovina, Slovenia; Dipartimento di Energetica Sergio Stecco, Universit di Firenze and INFN, via Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy; Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, CP 231, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14 km 163.5, Basovizza (Ts), Italy; Dipartimento di Fisica, Universit di Trieste, Italy; LENS, Universit di Firenze, via Nello Carrara 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy; Dipartimento di Fisica, Universit Degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, I-20133 Milano, Italy

Abstract: The possibility of observing phenomena peculiar to long-range interactions, and more specifically in the so-called quasi-stationary state (QSS) regime, is investigated within the framework of two devices, namely the free-electron laser (FEL) and the collective atomic recoil laser (CARL). The QSS dynamics has been mostly studied using the Hamiltonian mean-field (HMF) toy model, demonstrating in particular the presence of first-order and second-order out-of-equilibrium phase transitions from magnetized to unmagnetized regimes. Here, we give evidence of the strong connections between the HMF model and the dynamics of the two aforementioned devices, and we discuss the perspectives for observing some specific QSS features experimentally. In particular, a dynamical analog of the phase transition is present in the FEL and in the CARL in its conservative regime. As regards the dissipative CARL, a formal link is established with the HMF model. For both FEL and CARL, calculations are performed with reference to existing experimental devices, namely the FERMI@Elettra FEL under construction at Sincrotrone Trieste (Italy) and the CARL system at LENS in Florence (Italy).

Journal/Review: JOURNAL OF STATISTICAL MECHANICS-THEORY AND EXPERIMENT

Volume: 2010 (6)      Pages from: P06009  to: P06009

More Information: The research of PdB is financially supported by the Belgian Federal Government (Interuniversity Attraction Pole \’Nonlinear systems, stochastic processes, and statistical mechanics\’, 2007-2011). DF thanks for financial support the Euratom association. RB, GDN and FS acknowledge the scientific and financial support of the FERMI project.
KeyWords: Classical phase transitions (experiment); Classical phase transitions (theory); Phase diagrams (experiment); Phase diagrams (theory)
DOI: 10.1088/1742-5468/2010/06/P06009