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arxiv: 0910.0984 · v3 · pith:GUBQ5RCWnew · submitted 2009-10-06 · 🧮 math-ph · math.MP

Diffusive behavior for randomly kicked Newtonian particles in a spatially periodic medium

classification 🧮 math-ph math.MP
keywords timeenergyparticlebehaviormomentummotionperiodicspatially
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We prove a central limit theorem for the momentum distribution of a particle undergoing an unbiased spatially periodic random forcing at exponentially distributed times without friction. The start is a linear Boltzmann equation for the phase space density, where the average energy of the particle grows linearly in time. Rescaling time, the momentum converges to a Brownian motion, and the position is its time-integral showing superdiffusive scaling with time $t^{3/2}$. The analysis has two parts: (1) to show that the particle spends most of its time at high energy, where the spatial environment is practically invisible; (2) to treat the low energy incursions where the motion is dominated by the deterministic force, with potential drift but where symmetry arguments cancel the ballistic behavior.

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