Director of the Institute of Molecular Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences announces a competition for a student scholarship holder position in the SONATA-19 Research Project

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Director of the Institute of Molecular Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences announces a competition for a student scholarship holder position in the SONATA-19 Research Project Sintesi in italiano (traduzione automatica): L'Istituto di Fisica Molecolare dell'Accademia Polacca delle Scienze offre una borsa di studio per un progetto di ricerca nel campo delle transizioni di fase non in equilibrio, sincronizzazione e caos. Il progetto, guidato dal Dr. Eng. Krzysztof Ptaszyński, si concentra sullo studio dei fenomeni di sincronizzazione in modelli di oscillatori interagenti. Le principali mansioni includono l'analisi quantitativa dei meccanismi di sincronizzazione e le loro conseguenze termodinamiche e stocastiche, utilizzando approcci numerici e teorici. È richiesta una laurea in fisica o un campo correlato, con competenze in fisica statistica e termodinamica. La sede del progetto è in Polonia e i risultati contribuiranno a una comprensione più profonda dei meccanismi di sincronizzazione universali. Offer description: Title of the scientific project: Nonequilibrium phase transitions, synchronization and chaos in thermodynamically consistent models Principal investigator: Dr. Eng. Krzysztof Ptaszyński Description of the project: This project focuses on the study of synchronization phenomena in the driven clock Potts model, consisting of two or three interacting oscillators with a finite number of discrete phase states. The interaction between oscillators favors phase alignment, leading to the emergence of synchronized states. The clock Potts model provides a minimal model of synchronization whose stochastic dynamics are fully consistent with the laws of thermodynamics. This makes it possible to investigate the dynamical, statistical, and energetic properties of the system within a unified framework. In particular, the model allows one to analyze the conditions under which synchronization emerges and to quantify its consequences for energy dissipation, energy transfer between oscillators, and phase fluctuations. It also enables the study of information-theoretic quantities, such as mutual information and information flow. In the case of three coupled oscillators, the model exhibits more complex collective behaviors, including partial synchronization and persistent oscillations of phase differences between oscillators. Key words: statistical physics, computational physics, nonequilibrium thermodynamics, synchronization, complex systems Research objectives: The main objective of the project is to provide a quantitative characterization of synchronization mechanisms and to determine their thermodynamic and stochastic consequences. The study will employ two complementary approaches: numerical solutions of mean-field equations and solutions of the master equation describing the full stochastic dynamics of the system. The mean-field approach will be used to construct bifurcation diagrams characterizing the dynamical and thermodynamic states of the system, as well as the transitions between them. It will also allow us to determine how these transitions – particularly the onset of synchronization – affect energy dissipation and energy flows between oscillators. The predictions of the mean-field theory will subsequently be validated using solutions of the master equation. This approach will further enable a detailed analysis of phase fluctuations and energy-flow fluctuations, as well as their behavior in the vicinity of transitions between different dynamical states. An additional objective is to investigate the relationship between synchronization, mutual information, and information flow within the system. The project combines concepts and methods from statistical physics, nonequilibrium thermodynamics, information theory, and computational modeling. The results are expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of universal synchronization mechanisms that may also govern more complex systems, such as chemical oscillators, biological oscillators, and other active matter systems. Annuncio in inglese. Fonte: Euraxess (Commissione europea).