Mpemba effect for a Brownian particle trapped in a single well potential
Apurba Biswas, R. Rajesh
Abstract
The Mpemba effect refers to the counterintuitive phenomenon of a hotter system equilibrating faster than a colder system when both are quenched to the same low temperature. For a Brownian particle trapped in a piecewise linear single well potential that is devoid of any other metastable minima, we show the existence of the Mpemba effect for a wide range of parameters through an exact solution. This result challenges the prevalent explanation of the Mpemba effect that requires the energy landscape to be rugged with multiple minima. We also demonstrate the existence of inverse and strong Mpemba effects.
Topics & Concepts
MetastabilityMaxima and minimaBrownian motionPhysicsRange (aeronautics)Particle (ecology)Statistical physicsInverseQuantum mechanicsMathematicsMaterials scienceMathematical analysisComposite materialGeometryOceanographyGeologyAdvanced Thermodynamics and Statistical MechanicsStatistical Mechanics and EntropyTheoretical and Computational Physics