Stable equilibrium based on Lévy statistics: Stochastic collision models approach.
We investigate equilibrium properties of two very different stochastic collision models: (i) the Rayleigh particle and (ii) the driven Maxwell gas. For both models the equilibrium velocity distribution is a Lévy distribution, the Maxwell distribution being a special case. We show how these models are related to fractional kinetic equations. Our work demonstrates that a stable power-law equilibrium, which is independent of details of the underlying models, is a natural generalization of Maxwell's velocity distribution.
Barkai
Eli
E
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.