Scribd
Upload
7 views5 pages

ProblemSet2 2024

Uploaded by

abdullahmutahar27
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
7 views5 pages

ProblemSet2 2024

Uploaded by

abdullahmutahar27
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

PHYS7322 - Nonequilibrium Physics - Fall 2024

Problem set 2
Due date TBA

1. Class notes exercise 1. Starting from the general Master equation for the
one-step process where gm and rm are the transition rates between state m
and states m + 1 and m − 1, respectively, show that

dhm2 i
= 2hm(gm − rm )i + hgm + rm i
dt
Obtain the same result starting from the Fokker-Planck equation derived
from the Master equation in the limit m  1.

2. Class notes exercise 2. For the simple population growth model with birth
rate gm = αm and death rate rm = βm, derive exact expressions giving the
population mean, variance, and coefficient of variation defined by

hmi, σ 2 ≡ hm2 i − hmi2 , η ≡ σ/hmi,

respectively, as functions of time t for an initial population m = N0 at t = 0.


Briefly discuss the dynamics for α > β, α = β, and α < β.

3. Class notes exercise 3


Consider the collection of N two-state systems (e.g. Ising spins) governed by
the reaction
AB
with forward (A to B) and backward (B to A) transition rates α and β,
respectively. We denote by m the number of two-state systems in state A.

(a) We derived in class the following expression for the time evolution of
the average value of m corresponding to an initial condition where all
systems are in state A at time t = 0:

hmit = hmieq + (N − hmieq )e−t/τ

where τ = 1/(α + β). Derive an expression for the time evolution of the
variance
σ 2 ≡ hm2 i − hmi2
for the same initial condition. Interpret your answer physically.
(b) Derive expressions for the equilibrium probability distribution function
(PDF)
 1/2 (m−hmieq )2
1 − 2
Peq (m) = 2
e 2σeq

2πσeq
in the m  1 limit, where m is the number of systems in state A,
starting from (i) the Fokker-Planck equation derived from the Master
2
equation for this process, with hmieq and σeq ≡ hm2 ieq −hmi2eq expressed
in terms of α, β and N , and (ii) the expression for the equilibrium prob-
ability distribution obtained from statistical mechanics in the canonical
2
ensemble, with hmieq and σeq ≡ hm2 ieq −hmi2eq expressed in terms of the
energies EA and EB of states A and B, respectively, and N . Obtain the
ratio α/β of the forward and backward transition rates as a function of
EA and EB by equating those two expressions and interpret your result.
(c) Make a schematic plot showing the evolution of the probability distri-
bution P (m, t) from t = 0 to t → ∞.

4. Class notes exercise 4


Part (b) is challenging and counts as extra credit. I solved it using Mathe-
matica to avoid lengthy algebra by hand. Solving part (b) can be satisfying if
you succeed. The major intermediate results are given to check your answers.
Consider the chemical reaction

A + B  AB

with forward (A + B → B) and backward (AB → A + B) transition rates


β and α, respectively. Let NAt and Nbt denote the total number of A and B
atoms contained in a close system of volume V in contact with a heat bath at
temperature T . Let NA , NB , and NAB = m denote the number of A atoms,
B atoms, and AB molecules. Conservation of the number of A and B atoms
requires that NA = NAt − m and NB = NBt − m.
q
(a) Show that in the limit hm2 ieq − hmi2eq /hmieq → 0, where fluctuations
in the number of AB molecules can be neglected, the equilibrium state
of the system is given by the mass action law
hNAB ieq β
= .
hNA ieq hNB ieq α
Derive the expression
hNAB ieq ZAB
= .
hNA ieq hNB ieq ZA ZB
by minimization of the free-energy F = −kT ln Z of the system where
ZANA ZBNB ZAB
NAB
Z=
NA !NB !NAB !
is the total system partition function and ZA , ZB , and ZAB are the
individual partition functions of A atoms, B atoms, and AB molecules,
respectively. Obtain β/α by comparing the two expressions.
(b) Derive expressions for the equilibrium PDF Peq (m) in the m  1 limit
starting from:
(i) The Fokker-Planck equation derived from the Master equation for
the chemical reaction, which has the equilibrium distribution
Z m
V (m0 )

0
Peq (m) ∼ exp dm
D(m0 )
For this part, first evaluate the function
Z m
V (m0 )
f (m) ≡
D(m0 )
and find the equilibrium value m∗ that satisfies f 0 (m∗ ) = 0. This calcu-
lation (best performed using Mathematica) yields
 
1
q
∗ t t 2 t t t t 2 2
m = α + 2(NA + NB )β ± α + 2(NA + NB )αβ + (NA − NB ) β
2β
Only the negative root is physical and satisfies the requirement that
m∗ cannot exceed NAt or NBt . You can then find the value of m∗ by
substituting NAt = NA∗ + m∗ and NBt = NB∗ + m∗ in the above expression
that yields an implicit equation for m∗ . The solution yeilds the same
answer found in part (a)
NA∗ NB∗ β
m∗ = NAB
∗
= .
α
You can then Taylor expand f (m) around m∗ to second order in (m−m∗ )
to derive an analytical expression for Peq (m).
(ii) The expression from statistical mechanics
 
F (m)
Peq (m) ∼ exp −
kT
where F (m) is the free-energy that you can Taylor expand around m∗
to second order in (m − m∗ ).
Check that both (i) and (ii) give the same answer.
5. Bacterial growth
Consider the bacterial growth model where the rate of individual bacterium
cell division (mythosis) depends on the population size. Assume that this
rate is α(1 − γm) where γ  1 is a parameter characterizing the reduction of
growth rate due to the number m of bacteria competing for limited resources.
The individual cell death rate is assumed to be β < α and independent of
population size. This model reduces to the population growth model with
unbounded population size in the γ → 0 limit.

(a) Write down the mass action law for this bacterial growth process and
state when you expect it to be valid.
(b) Write down the master equation for this growth process.
(c) Derive the corresponding Focker-Planck equation for the PDF P (m, t)
in the large m limit.
(d) Calculate the stationary “non-equilibrium steady-state” distribution at
large time Ps (m) ≡ P (m, t → ∞). Like the thermodynamic equilibrium
distributions of the Ising model or chemical reactions, this distribution
is time-independent (synonymous for stationary). However, it cannot
be obtained from equilibrium statistical mechanics since it represents a
non-equilibrium steady-sate resulting from the balance of two inherently
non-equilibrium processes: cell growth and cell death.

6. Photon statistics
As depicted schematically in Figure 1 on the last page, a laser cavity with n
photons can loose a photon at a rate nκ and gain one at a rate (n + 1)G(n)
where the factor n+1 accounts for both stimulated emission, which is propor-
tional to n, and spontaneous emission (“ + 1”) that can occur independently.
The gain function can be assumed to have the form

G0
G(n) = ,
1 + Bn
which accounts for saturation in the large n limit.

(a) Write down the master equation for the probability pn (t) of having n
photons in the cavity.
(b) Write down the evolution equation for the mean and variance of the
number of photons and discuss their stationary values for the case G0 <
κ and G0 > κ.
(c) Derive the expression for the stationary probability distribution
 n
G0 1
pn = A Πn−1
m=0
κ 1 + Bm
where A is a normalization constant.
(d) Use the relation
n−1 1 Γ(1/B)
Πm=0 =
1 + Bm Γ(1/B + n)
to plot the stationary distribution pn versus n < 1000 for G0 /κ =
0.9, 1.0, 1.1 and B = 0.001. Discuss your results.

Figure 1: Photon transitions in a laser cavity.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy