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We develop computational tools for spectral analysis of stochastic networks representing energy landscapes of atomic and molecular clusters. Physical meaning and some properties of eigenvalues, left and right eigenvectors, and eigencurrents are discussed. We propose an approach to compute a collection of eigenpairs and corresponding eigencurrents describing the most important relaxation processes taking place in the system on its way to the equilibrium. It is suitable for large and complex stochastic networks where pairwise transition rates, given by the Arrhenius law, vary by orders of magnitude. The proposed methodology is applied to the network representing the Lennard-Jones-38 cluster created by Wales's group. Its energy landscape has a double funnel structure with a deep and narrow face-centered cubic funnel and a shallower and wider icosahedral funnel. Contrary to the expectations, there is no appreciable spectral gap separating the eigenvalue corresponding to the escape from the icosahedral funnel. We provide a detailed description of the escape process from the icosahedral funnel using the eigencurrent and demonstrate a superexponential growth of the corresponding eigenvalue. The proposed spectral approach is compared to the methodology of the Transition Path Theory. Finally, we discuss whether the Lennard-Jones-38 cluster is metastable from the points of view of a mathematician and a chemical physicist, and make a connection with experimental works., Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures

The concept of metastability has caused a lot of interest in recent years. The spectral decomposition of the generator matrix of a stochastic network exposes all of the transition processes in the system. The assumption of the existence of a low lying group of eigenvalues separated by a spectral gap, leading to factorization of the dynamics, has become a popular theme. We consider stochastic networks representing potential energy landscapes where the states and the edges correspond to local minima and transition states respectively, and the pairwise transition rates are given by the Arrhenuis formula. Using the minimal spanning tree, we construct the asymptotics for eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the generator matrix starting from the low lying group. This construction gives rise to an efficient algorithm for computing the asymptotic spectrum suitable for large and complex networks. We apply it to Wales's Lennard-Jones-38 network with 71887 states and 119853 edges where the underlying potential energy landscape has a double-funnel structure. Our results demonstrate that the concept of metastability should be applied with care to this system. In particular, for the full network, there is no significant spectral gap separating the eigenvalue corresponding to the exit from the wider and shallower icosahedral funnel at any reasonable temperature range., Comment: Submitted to Journal Networks and Heterogeneous Media on Feb. 25, 2014, 36 pages, 14 figures