Lorentz Gas with Thermostatted Walls

Abstract

In a planar periodic Lorentz gas, a point particle (electron) moves freely and collides with fixed round obstacles (ions). If a constant force (induced by an electric field) acts on the particle, the latter will accelerate, and its speed will approach infinity (Chernov and Dolgopyat in J Am Math Soc 22:821–858, 2009; Phys Rev Lett 99, paper 030601, 2007). To keep the kinetic energy bounded one can apply a Gaussian thermostat, which forces the particle’s speed to be constant. Then an electric current sets in and one can prove Ohm’s law and the Einstein relation (Chernov and Dolgopyat in Russian Math Surv 64:73–124, 2009; Chernov et al. Comm Math Phys 154:569–601, 1993; Phys Rev Lett 70:2209–2212, 1993). However, the Gaussian thermostat has been criticized as unrealistic, because it acts all the time, even during the free flights between collisions. We propose a new model, where during the free flights the electron accelerates, but at the collisions with ions its total energy is reset to a fixed level; thus our thermostat is restricted to the surface of the scatterers (the ‘walls’). We rederive all physically interesting facts proven for the Gaussian thermostat in Chernov, Dolgopyat (Russian Math Surv 64:73–124, 2009) and Chernov et al. (Comm Math Phys 154:569–601, 1993; Phys Rev Lett 70:2209–2212, 1993), including Ohm’s law and the Einstein relation. In addition, we investigate the superconductivity phenomenon in the infinite horizon case.