Current status of statistical mechanics in Armenia
Armen Allahverdyan(Yerevan Physics Institute)
-- Introduction: subject of statistical mechanics
-- Stat mech/thermodynamics of (small) engines
-- Interdisciplinary stat mech: evolution theory
-- Biological stat mech: presentation by E. Mamasakhlisov
Statistical mechanics: Explain macroscopic (many-body) regularities from microscopic conceptsPredict new macroscopic effects
Tools: classical or quantum mechanics + probability theory and statistics
Statistical physics in Yerevan Physics Institute : 4 groups
Method of presentation: focus on 1 important scientific questions for each subject
Drawbacks: no focus on answers; activities are not fully covered
Experiments: engineering thermodynamics, cond-mat, biophysics
1. Statistical mechanics of (small) heat engines
A. Allahverdyan (YerPhi),
K. Hovhannisyan (former PhD in YerPhi, now postdoc in Barcelona)
W. Deng (PhD student, France)
Support:
Volkswagenstiftung (2007-2010), NSF-USA (2008-2012) DARPA (2012-…)RRS-(Pays de la Loire, France) (2011-2013)PCR (China) Academy of Sciences (2011-2013) (to W. Deng)
SC-Armenia (2011) (to K. Hovhannisyan)
Frequent structure of theoretical physics working group in Armenia : 1 researcher + PhD student(s) + western-eastern collaborators
Cyclic engine
Work-source
1T 2T
Hot bath Cold bath
1 2 0W Q Q Work: Power:
1/W Q Efficiency:
/ cycleW
output / input
1Q2Q
W
Principal scheme of a (external combustion) heat engine
First law: 1/ 1W Q
Second law: 2
1
1T
T Carnot (maximal) efficiency
Efficiency-power dilemma: power goes to zero whenever2
1
1T
T
Question: how to make engines both powerful and efficient
Laws of thermodynamics
Gasoline car: 25--30 % , Diesel: 35 -- 40%
Allahverdyan et al, 2005—2013 Physical Review E, APhysical Review Letters, Physics Reports
Answer: study engines from within stat mech; microscopic origins of the power-efficiency dilemma (weak law)
Experimentally motivated activity with YerPhi biophysics group by S. GevorkianExplaining micromechanical/thermal experiments on bio-engines (haemoglobin)
Gevorkian, Allahverdyan et al, Physical Review Letters 2009, Europhysics Letters 2009, 2011
2. Statistical mechanics of evolution theory
D. Saakian (YerPhi),
Z. Kirakossyan (PhD in YerPhi)
CRDF (2007-2010), NSF-Taiwan (2008-….) DARPA (2011-…)
Statistical mechanics explaining virus evolution theory
Specific points of virus evolution
High mutation rates the unit of evolution is a group of connected genes
Asexual reproduction, but with horizontal gene transfer: connected population, many-body problem statistical mechanics is necessary
Accurate experimental realizations
Question: microscopic theory of virus evolution for a finite population of viruses
Answer : extract dynamical behaviour from the existing models (quasi-species model).
Construct new models.
Saakian et al, 2005—2012 PNAS (USA), Physical Review E
Conclusion
Reviewed activity of 2 groups doing theoretical statistical mechanics at Yerevan Physics Institute
Third group doing statistical mechanics at YerPhi is led by Prof. N. Ananikian.
Biologically motivated statistical physics talk by Prof. Mamasakhlisov
More stat-phys, talk by Vadim Ohanyan tomorrow
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