Fluctuations and Sensitivity in Nonequilibrium Systems, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1984 Proceedings of an International Conference, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, March 12-16, 1984 Springer Proceedings in Physics Series, Vol. 1

This volume contains the invited lectures and a selection of the contributed papers and posters of the workshop on "Fluctuations and Sensitivity in Nonequil ibrium Systems", held at the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center, Un i vers ity of Texas at Austin, March 12-16, 1984. The workshop dealt with stochastic phenomena and sensi­ tivity in nonequilibrium systems from a macroscopic point of view. Durin9 the last few years it has been realized that the role of fluctuations is far less trivial in systems far from equilibrium than in systems under thermodynamic equilibrium condi­ tions. It was found that random fluctuations often are a determining factor for the state adopted by macroscopic systems and cannot be regarded as secondary effects of minor importance. Further, nonequilibrium systems are also very sensitive to small systematic changes in their environment. The main aims of the workshop were: i) to provide scientists with an occasion to acquaint themselves with the state of the art in fluctuation theory and sensitivity analysis; ii) to provide a forum for the presentation of recent advances in theory and experiment; iii) to bring toge­ ther theoreticians and experimentalists in order to delineate the major open problems and to formulate strategies to tackle these problems. The organizing committee of the workshop consisted of W. Horsthemke, O. K. Konde­ pudi, G. Dewel, G. Nicolis, I. Prigogine and L. Reichl.

I Basic Theory.- Irreversibility and Space-Time Structure.- Stochastic Systems: Qualitative Theory and Lyapunov Exponents.- First Passage Times for Processes Governed by Master Equations.- II Pattern Formation and Selection.- Three Caveats for Linear Stability Theory: Rayleigh-Bénard Convection.- Pattern Selection and Phase Fluctuations in Chemical Systems.- Experiments on Patterns and Noise in Hydrodynamic Systems.- III Bistable Systems.- Optical Bistability: Steady-State and Transient Behavior.- Experimental Studies of the Transitions Between Stationary States in a Bistable Chemical System.- Noise-Induced Transitions in Multi-Stable Systems.- Bistable Flows Driven by Colored Noise.- IV Response to Stochastic and Periodic Forcing.- Noise-Induced Transitions.- Dynamical Aspects of External Nonwhite Noise.- Dynamic Systems with Fast Parametric Oscillations.- Experimental Studies of Noise-Induced Transitions.- Sensitivity of a Hopf Bifurcation to External Multiplicative Noise.- V Noise and Deterministic Chaos.- Noise and Chaos in Selected Quantum Optical Systems.- Distinguishing Low-Dimensional Chaos from Random Noise in a Hydrodynamic Experiment.- Sensitive Dependence to Parameters, Fat Fractals, and Universal Strange Attractors.- Noise-Induced Transitions in Discrete-Time Systems.- Scaling for External Excitations of a Period-Doubling System.- VI Sensitivity in Nonequilibrium Systems.- General Sensitivity Analysis of Differential Equation Systems.- Nonequilibrium Sensitivity.- Patterns of Nonequilibrium Sensitivity in Biological Systems.- Chemical Reaction Network Sensitivity Analysis.- VII Contributed Papers and Posters.- Chaos in the Conservative Duffing System — Renormalization Group Prediction.- Solvable Double-Well Potential Models.- Nonlinear Fluctuation-Dissipation Relations.- Numerical Studies of Fluctuations and Hysteresis in the Homogeneous Schögl Model.- Could Weak Neutral Currents Have Determined Biological Chirality?.- Nonequilibrium Chemical Instabilities in Continuous Flow Stirred Tank Reactors: The Effect of Stirring.- The Effect of Random and Periodic Fluctuations on Nonlinear Systems.- The Period-Doubling Power Spectrum of Conservative Systems.- A New Computable Criterion for the Non-Existence of Invariant Circles.- Periodic and Nonperiodic Dynamical Behavior Near Homoclinic Systems.- Precursors of Period Doubling Instabilities.- Flow Patterns in a Circular Couette System.- Index of Contributors.