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Phys. Rev. E 68, 050103 (2003) [4 pages]

Self-similarity in random collision processes

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Daniel ben-Avraham1, Eli Ben-Naim2, Katja Lindenberg3, and Alexandre Rosas3
1Physics Department, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699-5820, USA
2Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
3Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA

Rapid Communication Received 8 August 2003; published 24 November 2003

Kinetics of collision processes with linear mixing rules are investigated analytically. The velocity distribution becomes self-similar in the long-time limit and the similarity functions have algebraic or stretched exponential tails. The characteristic exponents are roots of transcendental equations and vary continuously with the mixing parameters. In the presence of conservation laws, the velocity distributions become universal.


©2003 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevE.68.050103
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.68.050103
PACS: 05.40.-a, 02.50.Ey, 05.20.Dd

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