Plasma experiments with relevance for complexity science

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.

8 pages, 2 figures, appeared in "Unifying Themes in Complex Systems", vol. IIIB, eds. A. A. Minai, Y. Bar-Yam, Springer Verlag, USA, 2007, pp. 119 - 127 ISBN 978-3-540-35864-0 (Print) 978-3-540-35866-4 (Online)