Experimental Quenching of Harmonic Stimuli: Universality of Linear Response Theory

Year: 2009

Authors: Allegrini P., Bologna M., Fronzoni L., Grigolini P., Silvestri L.

Autors Affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica ‘‘E. Fermi,’’ Universita` di Pisa and INFM CRS-SOFT, Largo Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy; Center for Nonlinear Science, University of North Texas, P.O. Box 311427, Denton, Texas 76203, USA; Instituto de Alta Investigacio´n, Universidad de Tarapaca´-Casilla 6-D Arica, Chile; Istituto dei Processi Chimico Fisici del CNR Area della Ricerca di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; L.E.N.S., University of Florence, via Nello Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy

Abstract: We show that liquid crystals in the weak turbulence electroconvective regime respond to harmonic perturbations with oscillations whose intensity decay with an inverse power law of time. We use the results of this experiment to prove that this effect is the manifestation of a form of linear response theory (LRT) valid in the out-of-equilibrium case, as well as at thermodynamic equilibrium where it reduces to the ordinary LRT. We argue that this theory is a universal property, which is not confined to physical processes such as turbulent or excitable media, and that it holds true in all possible conditions, and for all possible systems, including complex networks, thereby establishing a bridge between statistical physics and all the fields of research in complexity.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

Volume: 103 (3)      Pages from: 030602  to: 030602

More Information: P. G. and M. B. thank ARO and Welch for financial support of this work through Grants No. W911NF-0810177 and No. B-1577, respectively.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.030602

ImpactFactor: 7.328
Citations: 31
data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-09-29
References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)

Connecting to view paper tab on IsiWeb: Click here
Connecting to view citations from IsiWeb: Click here