Publication Date:
2014-02-27
Description:
We present a particular method for the explicit elimination of rapidly oscillating micro-scales in certain singularly perturbed conservative mechanical systems. Non-linear effects call for a non-trivial averaging procedure that we call {\em homogenization in time.} This method is based on energy principles and weak convergence techniques. Since non-linear functionals are in general {\em not} weakly sequentially continuous, we have to study {\em simultaneously} the weak limits of all those non-linear quantities of the rapidly oscillating components which are of importance for the underlying problem. Using the physically motivated concepts of {\em virial theorems}, {\em adiabatic invariants}, and {\em resonances}, we will be able to establish sufficiently many relations between all these weak limits, allowing to calculate them explicitly. Our approach will be {\em paradigmatical} rather than aiming at the largest possible generality. This way, we can show most clearly how concepts and notions from the physical background of the underlying mathematical problem enter and help to determine relations between weak limit quantities. In detail we will discuss natural mechanical systems with a strong constraining potential on Riemannian manifolds, the questions of realization of holonomic constraints, and singular limits of mixed quantum-classical coupling models. This latter class of problems also leads to a new proof for the adiabatic theorem of quantum mechanics. The strength of our methodology will be illustrated by applications to problems from plasma physics, molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry.
Keywords:
ddc:000
Language:
English
Type:
doctoralthesis
,
doc-type:doctoralThesis
Format:
application/postscript
Format:
application/pdf
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