Stochastic localization

Abstract

In this paper we address the phenomenon we call ``stochastic localization,'' within which we include a number of interrelated characteristics exhibited by soft anharmonic oscillators in thermal equilbrium. Principal among these characteristics are a tendency for soft oscillators to spend more time at higher energies than comparable harmonic oscillators, and for high-energy fluctuations in soft oscillators to persist longer than lower-energy fluctuations, leading to a tendency for energy fluctuations to be organized into ``bursts'' separated by intervals of relative quiet. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.