Abstract
dc:description.abstract<p>The central objects of study in this dissertation are random billiard systems. These are Markov chain systems with general state spaces derived from deterministic billiard systems by selecting one or more dynamical variables and replacing them with random variables with fixed probability distributions. In particular, we study two specific model systems; one which models gas diffusion through cylindrical channels whose walls have a microscopic structure, and another which models a minimalistic heat engine. The main results for the gas diffusion model, a series of probabilistic limit theorems, allow us to express transport characteristics such as mean exit times of the gas from the channel in terms of characteristics of the channel walls. Preliminary results for the heat engine model present some beginning steps in the study of stochastic thermodynamics of billiard-like mechanical systems.</p>
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Level thesis:degree_level
- Dissertation
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Mathematics
- Year dc:date.available
- 2013
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Chumley, Timothy
- Contributors dc:contributor
-
- Renato Feres
Subjects
dc:subject × 1Rights
- Language dc:language
- English (en)
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:etd-2092