Shift equivalence of measures and the intrinsic structure of shocks in the asymmetric simple exclusion process (Q1809439): Difference between revisions

In mathematically oriented research on statistical mechanics of infinite particle systems at equilibrium, translationally invariant probability measures are the major technical tool. A standard example of Gibbs measures for the nearest neighbour Ising model at low temperatures allows to identify various ways in which the non-translation invariant might arise. The main focus of the paper is a nonequilibrium example of the one-dimensional asymmetric simple exclusion process, that on the (Euler) macroscopic space-time scale is described by the inviscid Burgers equation for the particle density. A natural question is then to find out which particular microscopic features would correspond to shock solutions of the Burgers equation. It is found that so-called shift equivalent (non-translation invariant) measures describe the microscopic structures of shocks that are generated in different ways. In particular: via initial conditions in an infinite system or by boundary conditions in a large but finite system.