2024-03-29T06:35:09Zhttps://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace-oai/requestoai:eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp:2115/441182022-11-17T02:08:08Zhdl_2115_20057hdl_2115_148Slow relaxation to equipartition in spring-chain systemsKonishi, TetsuroYanagita, Tatsuopolymer elasticity and dynamicsdynamical processes (theory)dynamics (theory)molecular dynamics428In this study, one-dimensional systems of masses connected by springs, i.e., spring-chain systems, are investigated numerically. The average kinetic energy of chain-end particles of these systems is larger than that of other particles, which is similar to the behavior observed for systems made of masses connected by rigid links. The energetic motion of the end particles is, however, transient, and the system relaxes to thermal equilibrium after a while, where the average kinetic energy of each particle is the same, that is, equipartition of energy is achieved. This is in contrast to the case of systems made of masses connected by rigid links, where the energetic motion of the end particles is observed in equilibrium. The timescale of relaxation estimated by simulation increases rapidly with increasing spring constant. The timescale is also estimated using the Boltzmann-Jeans theory and is found to be in quite good agreement with that obtained from the simulation.IOP PublishingJournal Articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/2115/44118https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/44118/1/JSM2010_P09001.pdf1742-5468Journal of Statistical Mechanics : Theory and Experiment2010P090012010-09enginfo:doi/10.1088/1742-5468/2010/09/P09001This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Statistical Mechanics : Theory and Experiment. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The definitive publisher authenticated version is available online at 10.1088/1742-5468/2010/09/P09001author