Multiscale Energy Spreading in Hard-Particle Chains

Abstract

We consider a one-dimensional array of particles interacting via an infinite well potential. We explore the properties of energy spreading from an initial state where only a group of particles has non-zero velocities while others are resting. We characterize anomalous diffusion of the active domain via moments and entropies of the energy distribution. Only in the special cases of a single-well potential (hard-particle gas) and of the distance between the particles being half of the potential width does the diffusion have a single scale; otherwise, a multiscale anomalous diffusion is observed.