Scattering Dynamics of Driven Closed Billiards

TL;DR

This paper studies how particles scatter in a driven elliptical billiard, revealing mechanisms that lead to tunable escape behaviors and long-term decay patterns, highlighting the system's complex nonequilibrium dynamics.

Contribution

It identifies key scattering mechanisms and demonstrates tunable algebraic decay in escape rates for driven elliptical billiards, advancing understanding of driven classical systems.

Findings

Long-time algebraic decay of escape rate tunable by driving amplitude

Pulsed escape rates and decelerated particles are common in driven billiards

Time-dependent billiards serve as models for nonequilibrium classical ensemble evolution

Abstract

We investigate the classical scattering dynamics of the driven elliptical billiard. Two fundamental scattering mechanisms are identified and employed to understand the rich behavior of the escape rate. A long-time algebraic decay which can be tuned by varying the driving amplitude is established. Pulsed escape rates and decelerated escaping particles are generic properties of the harmonically breathing billiard. This suggests time-dependent billiards as prototype systems to study the nonequilibrium evolution of classical ensembles encountering a multitude of scattering processes off driven targets.