Search

We study a stochastically driven, damped nonlinear oscillator whose frequency is modulated by a white or coloured noise. Using diagrammatic perturbation theory, we find that in the absence of nonlinearity, parametric modulation by a coloured noise can lead to a Kapitza pendulum-like stabilization of an unstable configuration provided the noise is anti-correlated. Further, we show that for modulation by a white noise of amplitude $\lambda$ and correlation strength $F$, the system will have an extremely large response if the product of $\lambda^{2}F$ equals a specific combination of the frequency and the damping coefficient. This prediction can be experimentally tested., Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures

We apply perturbative techniques to a driven undamped sinusoidal oscillator at resonance. The angular displacement, $\theta$, obeys the dynamics $\Ddot{\theta} + \omega^{2} \sin{\theta} = H\cos{\omega t}$. The linearized approximation gives a divergent response (at long times) but the nonlinear terms make the response finite. We address the nonlinearity-induced finiteness in two ways by separately treating the short and long time scales. At long times, we use the traditional perturbative techniques to extract two drive dependent behaviours - one, the amplitude of oscillation scales as $(H/\omega^{2})^{1/3}$ and, two, the time period of the slow mode varies as $(H/\omega^{2})^{-2/3}$. For the early time behaviour, on the other hand, we devise an alternate perturbative expansion where the successive terms get larger with the order of evaluation but have alternating signs. The alternating signs (phase differences) between these terms leads to adestructive interference like effect. A careful consideration of this destructive interference like effect between successive terms leads to a finite response which describes the initial behaviour of the amplitude of the response reasonably correctly. We further note that for larger drive values, the system seems to undergo a first order transitional behaviour with a sudden jump in the largest Lyapunov exponent., Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures; Added references; Adjusted figures and text; added new figures and text

Manipulation of long-range order in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnetic materials (e.g., CrI$_3$, CrSiTe$_3$ etc.), exfoliated in few-atomic layer, can be achieved via application of electric field, mechanical-constraint, interface engineering, or even by chemical substitution/doping. Usually, active surface oxidation due to the exposure in the ambient condition and hydrolysis in the presence of water/moisture causes degradation in magnetic nanosheets which, in turn, affects the nanoelectronic/spintronic device performance. Counterintuitively, our current study reveals that exposure to the air at ambient atmosphere results in advent of a stable nonlayered secondary ferromagnetic phase in the form of Cr$_2$Te$_3$ (T$_{C2}$ ~ 160 K) in the parent vdW magnetic semiconductor Cr$_2$Ge$_2$Te$_6$ (T$_{C1}$ ~ 69 K). In addition, the magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) enhances in the hybrid by an order from the weakly anisotropic pristine Cr$_2$Ge$_2$Te$_6$ crystal, increasing the stability of the FM ground state with time. Comparing with the freshly prepared Cr$_2$Ge$_2$Te$_6$, the coexistence of the two ferromagnetic phases in the time elapsed bulk crystal is confirmed through systematic investigation of crystal structure along with detailed dc/ac magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and magnetotransport measurement. To capture the concurrence of the two ferromagnetic phases in a single material, Ginzburg-Landau theory with two independent order parameters (as magnetization) with a coupling term can be introduced. In contrast to rather common poor environmental stability of the vdW magnets, our results open possibilities of finding air-stable novel materials having multiple magnetic phases.

We analyse the scaling properties of the energy spectra in fully developed incompressible turbulence in forced, rotating fluids in three dimensions (3D), which are believed to be characterised by universal scaling exponents in the inertial range. To elucidate the scaling regimes, we set up a scaling analysis of the 3D Navier-Stokes equation for a rotating fluid that is driven by large-scale external forces. We use scaling arguments to extract the scaling exponents, which characterise the different scaling regimes of the energy spectra. We speculate on the intriguing possibility of two-dimensionalisation of 3D rotating turbulence within our scaling theory. Our results can be tested in large scale simulations and relevant laboratory-based experiments.

The microcanonical ensemble is a natural starting point of statistical mechanics. However, when it comes to perturbation theory in statistical mechanics, traditionally only the canonical and grand canonical ensembles have been used. In this article we show how the microcanonical ensemble can be directly used to carry out perturbation theory for both non-interacting and interacting systems. We obtain the first non-trivial order answers for the specific heat of anharmonic oscillators and for the virial expansion in real gases. They are in exact agreement with the results obtained from the canonical ensemble. In addition, we show how crossover functions for the specific heat of anharmonic oscillators can be constructed using a microcanonical ensemble and also how the subsequent terms of the virial expansion can be obtained. However, we find that if we consider quantum free particles in a one-dimensional box of extension L, then the two ensembles give strikingly different answers for the first correction to the specific heat in the high temperature limit.

We impose a linearized Eulerian perturbation on a steady, shallow, radial outflow of a liquid (water), whose local pressure function includes both the hydrostatic and the Laplace pressure terms. The resulting wave equation bears the form of a hydrodynamic metric. A dispersion relation, extracted from the wave equation, gives an instability due to surface tension and the cylindrical flow symmetry. Using the dispersion relation, we also derive three known relations that scale the radius of the circular hydraulic jump in the outflow. The first two relations are scaled by viscosity and gravity, with a capillarity-dependent crossover to the third relation, which is scaled by viscosity and surface tension. The perturbation as a high-frequency travelling wave, propagating radially inward against the bulk outflow, is blocked just outside the circular hydraulic jump. The amplitude of the wave also diverges here because of a singularity. The blocking is associated with surface tension, which renders the circular hydraulic jump a hydrodynamic white hole., Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, ReVTeX double column format

We consider the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 which is characterized by two distinct features. One is the existence of asymptomatic carriers which is a hidden variable in the problem. The other is the issue of latency which means that among the symptomatic carriers there could be a fraction whose symptoms develop after a couple of days. Our modelling is restricted to what we call the Phase -1 of the disease. During this phase the disease sets in and the number of infected people starts growing fast ( the number of new cases per day keeps growing on an average ) and then it slows down ( the number of new cases per day starts decreasing ) with the number of new cases decreasing to about one tenth of its peak value or even smaller). We define Phase-1 to be over when the daily cases start rising once again. We write down a Henon-like map to take various effects into account for this first phase., Comment: (19 pages,10 figures)

We study the linear instabilities and bifurcations in the Selkov model for glycolysis with diffusion. We show that this model has a zero wave-vector, finite frequency Hopf bifurcation to a growing oscillatory but spatially homogeneous state and a saddle-node bifurcation to a growing inhomogeneous state with a steady pattern with a finite wavevector. We further demonstrate that by tuning the relative diffusivity of the two concentrations, it is possible to make both the instabilities to occur at the same point in the parameter space, leading to an unusual type of codimension-two bifurcation. We then show that in the vicinity of this bifurcation the initial conditions decide whether a spatially uniform oscillatory or a spatially periodic steady pattern emerges in the long time limit.

Quasi-periodically driven quantum parametric oscillators have been the subject of several recent investigations. Here we show that for such oscillators, the instability zones of the mean position and variance (alternatively the mean energy) for a time developing wave packet are identical for the strongest resonance in the three-dimensional parameter space of the quasi-periodic modulation as it is for the two-dimensional parameter space of the periodic modulations.

It is necessary to introduce an external forcing to induce turbulence in a stably stratified fluid. The Heisenberg eddy viscosity technique should in this case suffice to calculate a space-time averaged quantity like the global anisotropy parameter as a function of the Richardson number. We find analytically that the anisotropy increases linearly with the Richardson number, with a small quadratic correction. A numerical simulation of the complete equations shows the linear behaviour.

We approach quantum dynamics in one spatial dimension from a systematic study of moments starting from the dynamics of the mean position. This is complementary to the approach of Brizuela whose starting point was generalized recursion relations between moments. The infinite set of coupled equations is truncated which allows us to use the techniques used in the study of dynamical systems. In particular we predict for what initial variance the purely quartic oscillator will time develop with minimal change in the shape of the initial packet and what the frequency of oscillation of the mean position will be. We show how quantum fluctuations will cause a particle to escape from the well of a volcano potential and how they will cause an oscillation between the two wells of a double well potential. Further, we consider an oscillatory external field in addition to the double well potential and work near the separatrix where the classical system is known to be chaotic. We show how the quantum fluctuations suppresses the chaotic behaviour after a time interval inversely proportional to the strength of the quantum fluctuations., Comment: 12 pages and 20 figures

We set up the scaling theory for stably stratified turbulent fluids. For a system having infinite extent in the horizontal directions, but with a finite width in the vertical direction, this theory predicts that the inertial range can display three possible scaling behaviour, which are essentially parametrised by the buoyancy frequency $N$, or dimensionless horizontal Froude number $F_h$, and the vertical length scale $l_v$ that sets the scale of variation of the velocity field in the vertical direction, for a fixed Reynolds number. For very low $N$ or very high $Re_b$ or $F_h$, and with $l_v$ being of the same order as $l_h$, the typical horizontal length scale, buoyancy forces are irrelevant and hence, unsurprisingly, the kinetic energy spectra shows the well-known K41 scaling in the inertial range. In this regime, the local temperature behaves as a passively advected scalar, without any effect on the flow fields. For intermediate ranges of values of $N,\,F_h\sim {\cal O}(1)$, corresponding to moderate stratification, buoyancy forces are important enough to affect the scaling. This leads to the Bolgiano-Obukhov scaling which is isotropic, when $l_v\sim l_h$. Finally, for very large $N$ or equivalently for vanishingly small $F_h,\,L_o$, corresponding to strong stratification, together with a very small $l_v$, the system effectively two-dimensionalise; the kinetic energy spectrum is predicted to be anisotropic with only the horizontal part of the kinetic energy spectra follows the K41 scaling, suggesting an intriguing {\em re-entrant} K41 scaling, as a function of stratification, for ${\bf v}_\perp$ in this regime. The scaling theory further predicts the scaling of the thermal energy in each of these three scaling regimes. Our theory can be tested in large scale simulations and appropriate laboratory-based experiments.

We explore analytically the quantum dynamics of a point mass pendulum using the Heisenberg equation of motion. Choosing as variables the mean position of the pendulum, a suitably defined generalised variance and a generalised skewness, we set up a dynamical system which reproduces the correct limits of simple harmonic oscillator like and free rotor like behaviour. We then find the unexpected result that the quantum pendulum released from and near the inverted position executes oscillatory motion around the classically unstable position provided the initial wave packet has a variance much greater than the variance of the well known coherent state of the simple harmonic oscillator. The behaviour of the dynamical system for the quantum pendulum is a higher dimensional analogue of the behaviour of the Kapitza pendulum where the point of support is vibrated vertically with a frequency higher than the critical value needed to stabilize the inverted position. A somewhat similar phenomenon has recently been observed in the non equilibrium dynamics of a spin - 1 Bose-Einstein Condensate., Comment: Document contains 8 pages and 15 diagrams

We revisit the scaling properties of the energy spectra in fully developed incompressible homogeneous turbulence in forced magnetofluids (MHD) in three dimensions (3D), which are believed to be characterised by {\em universal scaling exponents} in the inertial range. Enumerating these universal scaling exponents that characterise the energy spectra remains a theoretical challenge. To study this, we set up a scaling analysis of the 3D MHD equations, driven by large-scale external forces and with or without a mean magnetic field. We use scaling arguments to bring out various scaling regimes for the energy spectra. We obtain a variety of scaling in the inertial range, ranging from the well-known Kolmogorov spectra in the isotropic 3D ordinary MHD to more complex scaling in the anisotropic cases that depend on the magnitude of the mean magnetic field. We further dwell on the possibility that the energy spectra scales as $k^{-2}$ in the inertial range, where $k$ is a wavevector belonging to the inertial range, and also speculate on unequal scaling by the kinetic and magnetic energy spectra in the inertial range of isotropic 3D ordinary MHD. We predict the possibilities of {\em scale-dependent anisotropy} and intriguing {\em weak dynamic scaling} in the Hall MHD and electron MHD regimes of anisotropic MHD turbulence. Our results can be tested in large scale simulations and relevant laboratory-based and solar wind experiments., Comment: To appear in PRE (2018)

We use Ehrenfest's theorem to provide a particularly simple derivation of the {\em zitterbewegung} in the dynamics of initial Gaussian wave packets in a two-dimensional electron gas. For initial packets which are very wide in the $y$-direction, the {\em zitterbewegung} is only in the $y$-component of the velocity. We extend our Ehrenfest theorem based calculation to the spin-orbit coupled spinor Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) to predict that there can be {\em zitterbewegung} in the $x$-component of the velocity in this situation driven by a combination of the nonlinear interaction in the condensate and the splitting due to the spin-orbit coupling.

We consider the dynamics of a particle confined in a double well potential which is subjected to a periodic drive. In the case of deep and well separated wells, we find that by adjusting the parameters of the drive we can generate, to a very good approximation, a volcano potential. The quantum dynamics in this volcano potential is studied by a variation of what can be called a generalized Ehrenfest's theorem. We find that the coupling of the mean position and the width of the wave packet in this dynamics causes the particle to escape from the central well in accordance with the fact that the volcano potential only supports resonance states., Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to EPJ D

We derive Ehrenfest like equations for the coupled Gross Pitaevskii equations (CGPE) which describe the dynamics of the binary Bose-Einstein condensate (BBEC) both in the free particle regime and in the regime where condensate is well trapped. Instead of traditional variational technique, we propose a new Ehrenfest based approach to explore so far unrevealed dynamics for CGPE and illustrate the possibility of almost shape invariant states in both the regimes. In absence of trapping potential, when all the interactions present in the system are attractive, it is possible for an initially mixed Gaussian state to propagate with almost no change in width if the proper initial condition is satisfied. Even for repulsive intra-atomic and attractive inter-atomic interaction ($g_{\alpha\beta}$) one can tune $|g_{\alpha\beta}|$ such that the width of the propagating wave packet remains bounded within almost about $10\%$. We also discuss the dynamics of the initially phase separated condensate and have shown the breakdown of Gaussian nature of the wave packets due to collisions. However, when BEC is trapped in simple harmonic oscillator(SHO) potential, for $g_{\alpha\beta}>0$, it is possible for an initially overlapping state to retain its initial shape if $g_{\alpha\beta}$ is less than a critical value ($g_{\alpha\beta}^c$). If $g_{\alpha\beta}$ exceeds $g_{\alpha\beta}^c$, an overlapping state can become phase separated while keeping its shape unchanged., Comment: 10 pages, 20 figures

The spectra of turbulent heat flux $\mathrm{H}(k)$ in Rayleigh-B\'{e}nard convection with and without uniform rotation are presented. The spectrum $\mathrm{H}(k)$ scales with wave number $k$ as $\sim k^{-2}$. The scaling exponent is almost independent of the Taylor number $\mathrm{Ta}$ and Prandtl number $\mathrm{Pr}$ for higher values of the reduced Rayleigh number $r$ ($ > 10^3$). The exponent, however, depends on $\mathrm{Ta}$ and $\mathrm{Pr}$ for smaller values of $r$ ($<10^3$). The probability distribution functions of the local heat fluxes are non-Gaussian and have exponential tails., Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures

Rotation of non-circular hydraulic jumps is a recent experimental observation that lacks a theory based on first principles. Here we furnish a basic theory of this phenomenon founded on the shallow-water model of the circular hydraulic jump. The breaking of the axial symmetry morphs the circular jump into a polygonal state. Variations on this state rotate the polygon in the azimuthal direction. The dependence of the rotational frequency on the flow rate and on the number of polygon vertices agrees with known experimental results. We also predict how the rotational frequency varies with viscosity. Finally, we establish a correspondence between the rotating polygonal structure and the Hawking effect in an analogue white hole. The rotational frequency of the polygons affords a direct estimate of the frequency of the thermal Hawking radiation., Comment: 4 pages

We note that the Thomas Fermi limit of Gross Pitaevskii equation and $N>>1$ limit of quantum mechanics, where $N$ is the dimensionality of space, are based on the same point of view. We combine these two to produce a modified Thomas Fermi approximation which gives a very good account of the energy of the condensate in harmonic trap., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures

We consider systems governed by the Gross Pitaevskii equation (GPE) with the Morse potential $V(x)=D(e^{-2ax}-2e^{-ax})$ as the trapping potential. For positive values of the coupling constant $g$ of the cubic term in GPE, we find that the critical value $g_c$ beyond which there are no bound states scales as $D^{3/4}$ (for large $D$). Studying the quantum evolution of wave packets, we observe that for $gg_c$, on the otherhand, all initial wave packets escape from the potential and the dynamics is like that of a quantum free particle. For $g<0$, we find that there can be initial conditions for which the escaping wave packet can propagate with very little change in width i,e., it remains almost shape invariant., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures

The frequency spectra of the entropy and kinetic energy along with the power spectrum of the thermal flux are computed from direct numerical simulations for turbulent Rayleigh-B\'{e}nard convection with uniform rotation about a vertical axis in low-Prandtl-number fluids ($\mathrm{Pr} < 0.6$). Simulations are done for convective Rossby numbers $\mathrm{Ro} \ge 0.2$. The temporal fluctuations of these global quantities show two scaling regimes: (i) $\omega^{-2}$ at higher frequencies for all values of $\mathrm{Ro}$ and (ii) $\omega^{-\gamma_1}$ at intermediate frequencies with $\gamma_1 \approx 4$ for $\mathrm{Ro} > 1$, while $4 < \gamma_1 < 6.6$ for $0.2 \le \mathrm{Ro} < 1$., Comment: 5 pages and 4 figures

We present results for entropy and kinetic energy spectra computed from direct numerical simulations for low-Prandtl-number ($Pr < 1$) turbulent flow in Rayleigh-B\'{e}nard convection with uniform rotation about a vertical axis. The simulations are performed in a three-dimensional periodic box for a range of Taylor number ($ 0 \leq Ta \leq 10^8$) and reduced Rayleigh number $r = Ra/Ra_{\circ} (Ta, Pr)$ ($1.0 \times 10^2 \le r \le 5.0 \times 10^3$). The Rossby number $Ro$ varies in the range $1.34 \le Ro \le 73$. The entropy spectrum $E_{\theta}(k)$ shows bi-splitting into two branches for lower values of wave number $k$. The entropy in the lower branch scales with $k$ as $k^{-1.4\pm 0.1}$ for $r > 10^3$ for the rotation rates considered here. The entropy in the upper branch also shows scaling behavior with $k$, but the scaling exponent decreases with increasing $Ta$ for all $r$. The energy spectrum $E_v(k)$ is also found to scale with the wave number $k$ as $k^{-1.4\pm 0.1}$ for $r > 10^3$. The scaling exponent for the energy spectrum and the lower branch of the entropy spectrum vary between $-1.7$ to $-2.4$ for lower values of $r$ ($< 10^3$). We also provide some simple arguments based on the variation of the Kolmogorov picture to support the results of simulations., Comment: 12 pages, 8 postscript figures, 1 table, A slightly modified version is to appear in Physical Review E

Hopf bifurcations have been studied perturbatively under two broad headings, viz., super-critical and sub-critical. The criteria for occurrences of such bifurcations have been investigated using the renormalization group. The procedure has been described in details for both two and three dimensions and has been applied to several important models, including those by Lorenz and Rossler., Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures

Starting from coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) describing the dynamics of binary Bose Einstein Condensate (BEC), we have explored the dynamics of the width of initial wave-packets by following two different approaches. We have followed a recent coherent state based approach and have shown that in binary BEC the oscillation of the width of the wave packet can give rise to instability at a certain condition. Alternately we have proceeded by considering the trial ground state solutions for both the species and through the Ehrenfest theorem shown the existence of an instability which may lead to phase separation of the two species., Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure

We have studied the ground state of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation (nonlinear Schrodinger equation) for a Morse potential via a variational approach. It is seen that the ground state ceases to be bound when the coupling constant of the nonlinear term reaches a critical value. The disappearence of the ground state resembles a saddle node bifurcation., Comment: 5 pages, 8 figures

We consider a hydrodynamic description of the spherically symmetric outward flow of nuclear matter, accommodating dispersion in it as a very weak effect. About the resulting stationary conditions in the flow, we apply an Eulerian scheme to derive a fully nonlinear equation of a time-dependent radial perturbation. In its linearized limit, with no dispersion, this equation implies the static acoustic horizon of an analogue gravity model. We, however, show that time-dependent nonlinear effects destabilize the static horizon. We also model the perturbation as a high-frequency travelling wave, and perform a {\it WKB} analysis, in which the effect of weak dispersion is studied iteratively. We show that even arbitrarily small values of dispersion make the horizon fully opaque to any acoustic disturbance propagating against the bulk flow, with the amplitude and the energy flux of the radial perturbation undergoing a discontinuity at the horizon, and decaying exponentially just outside it., Comment: 8 pages, submitted to PRC

We present a new application of Lagrangian Perturbation Theory (LPT): the stability analysis of fluid flows. As a test case that demonstrates the framework we focus on the plane Couette flow. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equation is recast such that the particle position is the fundamental variable, expressed as a function of Lagrangian coordinates. The displacement due to the steady state flow is taken to be the zeroth order solution and the position is formally expanded in terms of a small parameter (generally, the strength of the initial perturbation). The resulting hierarchy of equations is solved analytically at first order. We find that we recover the standard result in the Eulerian frame: the plane Couette flow is asymptotically stable for all Reynolds numbers. However, it is also well established that experiments contradict this prediction. In the Eulerian picture, one of the proposed explanations is the phenomenon of `transient growth' which is related to the non-normal nature of the linear stability operator. The first order solution in the Lagrangian frame also shows this feature, albeit qualitatively. As a first step, and for the purposes of analytic manipulation, we consider only linear stability of 2D perturbations but the framework presented is general and can be extended to higher orders, other flows and/or 3D perturbations., Comment: 22 pages, accepted in Frontiers in Physics (Mathematical Physics)

Superconductor with a spatially-modulated order parameter is known as Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) superconductor. Using the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) formalism we have theoretically studied the temporal behaviour of the equal-time correlation function, or the structure factor, of a FFLO superconductor following a sudden quench from the unpaired, or normal, state to the FFLO state. We find that quenching into the ordered FFLO phase can reveal the existence of a line in the mean-field phase diagram which cannot be accessed by static properties., Comment: 2 pages, Poster presented at 57TH DAE SOLID STATE PHYSICS SYMPOSIUM, 2012. Mainly based on arXiv:1210.2205

We study the phase diagram of spatially inhomogeneous Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov(FFLO) superconducting state using the Ginzburg-Landau(GL) free energy, derived from the microscopic Hamiltonian of the system, and notice that it has a very clear Lifshitz tricritical point. We find the specific heat jumps abruptly near the first-order line in the emergent phase diagram which is very similar to the recent experimental observation in layered organic superconductor. Comparison with experimental data allows us to obtain quantitative relations between the parameters of phenomenological free energy. The region of the phase diagram where the specific heat jumps can be probed by doing a dynamical analysis of the free energy., Comment: Published version

We analyze the statistical properties of three-dimensional ($3d$) turbulence in a rotating fluid. To this end we introduce a generating functional to study the statistical properties of the velocity field $\bf v$. We obtain the master equation from the Navier-Stokes equation in a rotating frame and thence a set of exact hierarchical equations for the velocity structure functions for arbitrary angular velocity $\mathbf \Omega$. In particular we obtain the {\em differential forms} for the analogs of the well-known von Karman-Howarth relation for $3d$ fluid turbulence. We examine their behavior in the limit of large rotation. Our results clearly suggest dissimilar statistical behavior and scaling along directions parallel and perpendicular to $\mathbf \Omega$. The hierarchical relations yield strong evidence that the nature of the flows for large rotation is not identical to pure two-dimensional flows. To complement these results, by using an effective model in the small-$\Omega$ limit, within a one-loop approximation, we show that the equal-time correlation of the velocity components parallel to $\mathbf \Omega$ displays Kolmogorov scaling $q^{-5/3}$, where as for all other components, the equal-time correlators scale as $q^{-3}$ in the inertial range where $\bf q$ is a wavevector in $3d$. Our results are generally testable in experiments and/or direct numerical simulations of the Navier-Stokes equation in a rotating frame., Comment: 24 pages in preprint format; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. E (2011)

We show that the rare events present in dissipated work that enters Jarzynski equality, when mapped appropriately to the phenomenon of large deviations found in a biased coin toss, are enough to yield a quantitative work probability distribution for Jarzynski equality. This allows us to propose a recipe for constructing work probability distribution independent of the details of any relevant system. The underlying framework, developed herein, is expected to be of use in modelling other physical phenomena where rare events play an important role., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures.

In a novel approach to studying viscous accretion flows, viscosity has been introduced as a perturbative effect, involving a first-order correction in the $\alpha$-viscosity parameter. This method reduces the problem of solving a second-order nonlinear differential equation (Navier-Stokes equation) to that of an effective first-order equation. Viscosity breaks down the invariance of the equilibrium conditions for stationary inflow and outflow solutions, and distinguishes accretion from wind. Under a dynamical systems classification, the only feasible critical points of this "quasi-viscous" flow are saddle points and spirals. A linearised and radially propagating time-dependent perturbation gives rise to secular instability on large spatial scales of the disc. Further, on these same length scales, the velocity evolution equation of the quasi-viscous flow has been transformed to bear a formal closeness with Schr\"odinger's equation with a repulsive potential. Compatible with the transport of angular momentum to the outer regions of the disc, a viscosity-limited length scale has been defined for the full spatial extent over which the accretion process would be viable., Comment: 15 pages

We show that the delta function potential can be exploited along with perturbation theory to yield the result of certain infinite series. The idea is that any exactly soluble potential if coupled with a delta function potential remains exactly soluble. We use the strength of the delta function as an expansion parameter and express the second-order energy shift as an infinite sum in perturbation theory. The analytical solution is used to determine the second-order energy shift and hence the sum of an infinite series. By an appropriate choice of the unperturbed system, we can show the importance of the continuum in the energy shift of bound states., Comment: 19 pages, 2 tables

The stationary background flow in the spherically symmetric infall of a compressible fluid, coupled to the space-time defined by the static Schwarzschild metric, has been subjected to linearized perturbations. The perturbative procedure is based on the continuity condition and it shows that the coupling of the flow with the geometry of space-time brings about greater stability for the flow, to the extent that the amplitude of the perturbation, treated as a standing wave, decays in time, as opposed to the amplitude remaining constant in the Newtonian limit. In qualitative terms this situation simulates the effect of a dissipative mechanism in the classical Bondi accretion flow, defined in the Newtonian construct of space and time. As a result of this approach it becomes impossible to define an acoustic metric for a conserved spherically symmetric flow, described within the framework of Schwarzschild geometry. In keeping with this view, the perturbation, considered separately as a high-frequency travelling wave, also has its amplitude reduced., Comment: 8 pages, no figure

Transonicity in a spherically symmetric accreting system has been considered in both the stationary and the dynamic regimes. The stationary flow, set up as a dynamical system, has been shown to be greatly unstable to even the minutest possible deviation in the boundary condition for transonicity. With the help of a simple analytical model, and some numerical modelling, it has then been argued that the flow indeed becomes transonic and stable, when the evolution of the flow is followed through time. The time-dependent approach also shows that there is a remarkable closeness between an equation of motion for a perturbation in the flow, and the metric of an analog acoustic black hole., Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, REVTeX. This article is an invited contribution to a special issue of the Indian Journal of Physics, dedicated to the revered memory of Prof. Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri

A first-order correction in the $\alpha$-viscosity parameter of Shakura and Sunyaev has been introduced in the standard inviscid and thin accretion disc. A linearised time-dependent perturbative study of the stationary solutions of this "quasi-viscous" disc leads to the development of a secular instability on large spatial scales. This qualitative feature is equally manifest for two different types of perturbative treatment -- a standing wave on subsonic scales, as well as a radially propagating wave. Stability of the flow is restored when viscosity disappears., Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, AASTeX. Added some new material and upgraded the reference list

For inviscid, rotational accretion flows driven by a general pseudo-Newtonian potential on to a Schwarzschild black hole, the only possible fixed points are saddle points and centre-type points. For the specific choice of the Newtonian potential, the flow has only two critical points, of which the outer one is a saddle point while the inner one is a centre-type point. A restrictive upper bound is imposed on the admissible range of values of the angular momentum of sub-Keplerian flows through a saddle point. These flows are very unstable to any deviation from a necessarily precise boundary condition. The difficulties against the physical realisability of a solution passing through the saddle point have been addressed through a temporal evolution of the flow, which gives a non-perturbative mechanism for selecting a transonic solution passing through the saddle point. An equation of motion for a real-time perturbation about the stationary flows reveals a very close correspondence with the metric of an acoustic black hole, which is also an indication of the primacy of transonicity., Comment: 18 pages

The stochastic quantisation technique of Parisi and Wu is extended to study non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. We show that this scheme is capable of handling white as well as coloured noises. PACS numbers: 64.60.-i; 64.60.Ak; 64.60.Fr; 64.60.Ht, Comment: 4 pages, Revtex