Chaos, Scattering and Statistical Mechanics

The first book about chaos in statistical mechanics, in Cambridge Nonlinear Science Series.

Pierre Gaspard (Author)

9780521395113, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 May 1998

496 pages, 102 b/w illus. 32 tables
24.4 x 17 x 2.7 cm, 0.99 kg

"The book is nicely written...allows one to see some topics in dynamical systems with new eyes." Mathematical Reviews

This book describes advances in the application of chaos theory to classical scattering and nonequilibrium statistical mechanics generally, and to transport by deterministic diffusion in particular. The author presents the basic tools of dynamical systems theory, such as dynamical instability, topological analysis, periodic-orbit methods, Liouvillian dynamics, dynamical randomness and large-deviation formalism. These tools are applied to chaotic scattering and to transport in systems near equilibrium and maintained out of equilibrium. Chaotic Scattering is illustrated with disk scatterers and with examples of unimolecular chemical reactions and then generalized to transport in spatially extended systems. This book will be bought by researchers interested in chaos, dynamical systems, chaotic scattering, and statistical mechanics in theoretical, computational and mathematical physics and also in theoretical chemistry.

1. Dynamical systems and their linear stability
2. Topological chaos
3. Liouvillian dynamics
4. Probabalistic chaos
5. Chaotic scattering
6. Scattering theory of transport
7. Hydrodynamic modes of diffusion
8. Systems maintained out of equilibrium
9. Noises as microscopic chaos.

Subject Areas: Statistical physics [PHS], Thermodynamics & heat [PHH], Classical mechanics [PHD], Chaos theory [PBWS]