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Statistical physics and thermodynamics provide a framework for relating the behaviour of microscopic particles to the macroscopic properties of a system. Thermodynamics casts these macroscopic, or observable, properties in terms of variables that are subject to constraints imposed by the four laws of thermodynamics, which can be explained by statistical physics.
Spiral waves of cell density can form and propagate through bacterial biofilms. These waves are formed by a self-organization process that coordinates pulling forces between neighbouring cells.
According to balance theory, social actors avoid establishing cycles with an odd number of negative links. This statement can be supported only after a comparison with a benchmark. The authors find that the level of balance depends on the null-model employed: homogeneous ones favor the weak balance theory; heterogeneous ones favor the strong balance theory.
The binomial method, and similar approximations, are often used for numerical simulations of population models in mathematical epidemiology and ecology. The authors study the binomial method to approximate a stochastic dynamic and compare it with an unbiased Gillespie method for stochastic simulation deriving insights on optimal discretization schemes for the binomial method and provide corresponding rules that would indicate if binomial or unbiased solution methods are more efficient.
In many chiral particle systems, vortex patterns emerge in the velocity fields due to the alignment interactions, but these patterns are non-permanent and decohere quickly. The authors predict the spontaneous emergence of vortices with high dynamical coherence, and identify the transition between the regimes of constant and oscillating vorticity.
Spiral waves of cell density can form and propagate through bacterial biofilms. These waves are formed by a self-organization process that coordinates pulling forces between neighbouring cells.
Can many-body systems be beneficial to designing quantum technologies? We address this question by examining quantum engines, where recent studies indicate potential benefits through the harnessing of many-body effects, such as divergences close to phase transitions. However, open questions remain regarding their real-world applications.
During extreme storms, the failure of a small fraction of transmission lines can trigger a cascade of outages in a power grid. Going beyond static approaches, it is now demonstrated that resolving the spatio-temporal interactions between the storm and the power grid is key to identifying these critical lines.
Stable regions in four-dimensional phase space have been observed by following the motion of accelerated proton beams subject to nonlinear forces. This provides insights into the physics of dynamical systems and may lead to improved accelerator designs.
Ageing is a non-linear, irreversible process that defines many properties of glassy materials. Now, it is shown that the so-called material-time formalism can describe ageing in terms of equilibrium-like properties.