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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
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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 concepts Predict new macroscopic effects Tools: classical or quantum mechanics + probability theory and statistics Experiments: engineering thermodynamics, cond-mat, biophysics 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
Frequent structure of theoretical physics working group in Armenia: 1 researcher + PhD student(s) + western-eastern collaborators • 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)
Principal scheme of a (external combustion) heat engine Work-source Hot bath Cold bath Cyclic engine Power: Work: Efficiency: output / input
Laws of thermodynamics First law: Carnot (maximal) efficiency Second law: Gasoline car: 25--30 % , Diesel: 35 -- 40% Efficiency-power dilemma: power goes to zero whenever Question: how to make engines both powerful and efficient
Answer: study engines from within stat mech; microscopic origins of the power-efficiency dilemma (weak law) Allahverdyan et al, 2005—2013 Physical Review E, A Physical Review Letters, Physics Reports Experimentally motivated activity with YerPhi biophysics group by S. Gevorkian Explaining 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