Tagged Questions

4
votes
1answer
58 views

Peculiar Hamiltonian Phase space

I was solving an exercise of classical mechanics : Consider the following hamiltonian $H(p,q,t) = \frac{p^2}{2m} + \lambda pq + \frac{1}{2}m\lambda^2\frac{q^6}{q^4+\alpha^4}$ Where ...
4
votes
2answers
80 views

What would happen if energy was conserved but phase space volume wasn't? (and vice-versa)

I'm trying to understand the relationship between the two conservation laws. As I understand, Liouville's result is a weaker condition: it relies merely on the particular form assumed by Hamilton's ...
3
votes
1answer
117 views

Phase space in quantum mechanics and Heisenberg uncertainty principle

In my book about quantum mechanics they give a derivation that for one particle an area of $h$ in $2D$ phase space contains exactly one quantum mechanical state. In my book about statistical physics ...
4
votes
3answers
86 views

Other application of Liouville's theorem besides thermodynamics

Are there any other important practical and theoretical consequences of Liouville's theorem on the conservation of phase space volume besides the calculation of the microcanonical potential in ...
5
votes
4answers
218 views

Non-Integrable systems

Integrable systems are systems which have $2n-1$ time-independent, functionally independent conserved quantities (n being the number of degrees of freedom), or n whose Poisson brackets with each other ...
4
votes
3answers
182 views

What are some mechanics examples with a globally non-generic symplecic structure?

In the framework of statistical mechanics, in books and lectures when the fundamentals are stated, i.e. phase space, Hamiltons equation, the density etc., phase space seems usually be assumed to be ...
0
votes
2answers
264 views

Phase space of a discrete dynamical system

Suppose a dynamical system of one variable $x$ with discrete time-steps. I've seen in some papers a type of graph in which $x(n+1)$ is plotted versus $x(n)$. My questions are : 1/ Can this be ...
13
votes
1answer
181 views

Sympletic structure of General Relativity

Inspired by physics.SE: http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/15571/does-the-dimensionality-of-phase-space-go-up-as-the-universe-expands/15613 It made me wonder about symplectic structures in ...