Plasma experiments with relevance for complexity science

TL;DR

This paper investigates the nonlinear behavior and self-organization in plasma conductors under external constraints, revealing transitions from complexity to autonomous states driven by double layer dynamics, with implications for nonequilibrium physics.

Contribution

It identifies the physical processes leading to self-organization in plasma systems and links these to broader complexity phenomena in nonequilibrium physics.

Findings

Presence of a self-organization scenario in plasma behavior

Transition from complexity to autonomous states with external constraints

Role of electrical double layers in stability and dynamics

Abstract

The goal of this paper is the identification of the physical processes at the origin of the nonlinear behavior of a plasma conductor when an external constraint gradually departs the system from thermal equilibrium. This reveals the presence of a self-organization scenario whose final product depends on the magnitude of the applied constraint. At first it appears a complexity whose stability is ensured by the presence of an electrical double layer. By increasing the external constraint the complexity transits into an autonomous state whose existence is related to a rhythmic exchange of matter and energy with the surrounding environment, sustained and controlled by a proper dynamics of the double layer. The results are potentially important for developing a general strategy of nonequilibrium physics, suggesting answers to challenging problems concerning the mechanism that could explain the appearance of self-organized complexities in laboratory and nature.