Related Experiment Videos
Fractal dimension of steady nonequilibrium flows
William G. Hoover1, Harald A. Posch, Carol G. Hoover
1Department of Applied Science, Post Office Box 808, University of California at Davis-Livermore, California 94550Institute for Experimental Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, University of Vienna, Vienna A-1090, AustriaMethods Development Group, Mechanical Engineering Department, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550.
Abstract:
The Kaplan-Yorke information dimension of phase-space attractors for two kinds of steady nonequilibrium many-body flows is evaluated. In both cases a set of Newtonian particles is considered which interacts with boundary particles. Time-averaged boundary temperatures are imposed by Nose-Hoover thermostat forces. For both kinds of nonequilibrium systems, it is demonstrated numerically that external isothermal boundaries can drive the otherwise purely Newtonian flow onto a multifractal attractor with a phase-space information dimension significantly less than that of the corresponding equilibrium flow. Thus the Gibbs' entropy of such nonequilibrium flows can diverge.