On convergence to equilibrium distribution. I: The Klein-Gordon equation with mixing (Q5961023)

The paper underlines the special role of equilibrium distributions in statistical mechanics of systems governed by hyperbolic partial differential equations: the Klein-Gordon equation in \(\mathbb{R}^n\), \(n\geq 2\) with constant or variable coefficients. The main result is the convergence of the distribution of the random solution at time \(t\) to a Gaussian probability measure as \(t\to\infty\) which gives a central limit theorem for the Klein-Gordon equations. It is assumed that the initial probability measure has zero mean, a translation-invariant covariance and a finite mean energy density together with a Rosenblattt- or Fbragimov-Linnik-type mixing condition. In the case of constant coefficients, a proof is based on an analysis of long-time asymptotics of the solution in the Fourier representation and Bernstein argument. The case of variable coefficients is treated by using an ``averaged'' version of the scattering theory for infinite energy solutions.