학술논문

Elastic and inelastic collisions of swarms.
Document Type
Article
Source
Physica D. Apr2017, Vol. 344, p45-57. 13p.
Subject
*INELASTIC collisions
*ELECTRON swarms
*ELASTIC scattering
*QUASIPARTICLES
*SCATTERING (Physics)
Language
ISSN
0167-2789
Abstract
Scattering interactions of swarms in potentials that are generated by an attraction–repulsion model are studied. In free space, swarms in this model form a well-defined steady state describing the translation of a stable formation of the particles whose shape depends on the interaction potential. Thus, the collision between a swarm and a boundary or between two swarms can be treated as (quasi)-particle scattering. Such scattering experiments result in internal excitations of the swarm or in bound states, respectively. In addition, varying a parameter linked to the relative importance of damping and potential forces drives transitions between elastic and inelastic scattering of the particles. By tracking the swarm’s center of mass, a refraction rule is derived via simulations relating the incoming and outgoing directions of a swarm hitting the wall. Iterating the map derived from the refraction law allows us to predict and understand the dynamics and bifurcations of swarms in square boxes and in channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]