No Arabic abstract
The recent interest into the Brownian gyrator has been confined chiefly to the analysis of Brownian dynamics both in theory and experiment despite the applicability of general cases with definite mass. Considering mass explicitly in the solution of the Fokker--Planck equation and Langevin dynamics simulations, we investigate how inertia can change the dynamics and energetics of the Brownian gyrator. In the Langevin model, the inertia reduces the nonequilibrium effects by diminishing the declination of the probability density function and the mean of a specific angular momentum, $j_theta$, as a measure of rotation. Another unique feature of the Langevin description is that rotation is maximized at a particular anisotropy while the stability of the rotation is minimized at a particular anisotropy or mass. Our results suggest that the Langevin dynamics description of the Brownian gyrator is intrinsically different from that with Brownian dynamics. In addition, $j_theta$ is proven to be essential and convenient for estimating stochastic energetics such as heat currents and entropy production even in the underdamped regime.
In the context of stochastic thermodynamics, a minimal model for non equilibrium steady states has been recently proposed: the Brownian Gyrator (BG). It describes the stochastic overdamped motion of a particle in a two dimensional harmonic potential, as in the classic Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, but considering the simultaneous presence of two independent thermal baths. When the two baths have different temperatures, the steady BG exhibits a rotating current, a clear signature of non equilibrium dynamics. Here, we consider a time-dependent potential, and we apply a reverse-engineering approach to derive exactly the required protocol to switch from an initial steady state to a final steady state in a finite time $tau$. The protocol can be built by first choosing an arbitrary quasi-static counterpart - with few constraints - and then adding a finite-time contribution which only depends upon the chosen quasi-static form and which is of order $1/tau$. We also get a condition for transformations which - in finite time - conserve internal energy, useful for applications such as the design of microscopic thermal engines. Our study extends finite-time stochastic thermodynamics to transformations connecting non-equilibrium steady states.
We consider a model of a two-dimensional molecular machine - called Brownian gyrator - that consists of two coordinates coupled to each other and to separate heat baths at temperatures respectively $T_x$ and $T_y$. We consider the limit in which one component is passive, because its bath is cold, $T_x to 0$, while the second is in contact with a hot bath, $T_y > 0$, hence it entrains the passive component in a stochastic motion. We derive an asymmetry relation as a function of time, from which time dependent effective temperatures can be obtained for both components. We find that the effective temperature of the passive element tends to a constant value, which is a fraction of $T_y$, while the effective temperature of the driving component grows without bounds, in fact exponentially in time, as the steady-state is approached.
We consider an overdamped Brownian particle, exposed to a two-dimensional, square lattice potential and a rectangular ac-drive. Depending on the driving amplitude, the linear response to a weak dc-force along a lattice symmetry axis consist in a mobility in basically any direction. In particular, motion exactly opposite to the applied dc-force may arise. Upon changing the angle of the dc-force relatively to the square lattice, the particle motion remains predominantly opposite to the dc-force. The basic physical mechanism consists in a spontaneous symmetry breaking of the unbiased deterministic particle dynamics.
Diffusive transport in many complex systems features a crossover between anomalous diffusion at short times and normal diffusion at long times. This behavior can be mathematically modeled by cutting off (tempering) beyond a mesoscopic correlation time the power-law correlations between the increments of fractional Brownian motion. Here, we investigate such tempered fractional Brownian motion confined to a finite interval by reflecting walls. Specifically, we explore how the tempering of the long-time correlations affects the strong accumulation and depletion of particles near reflecting boundaries recently discovered for untempered fractional Brownian motion. We find that exponential tempering introduces a characteristic size for the accumulation and depletion zones but does not affect the functional form of the probability density close to the wall. In contrast, power-law tempering leads to more complex behavior that differs between the superdiffusive and subdiffusive cases.
A model of an autonomous isothermal Brownian motor with an internal propulsion mechanism is considered. The motor is a Brownian particle which is semi-transparent for molecules of surrounding ideal gas. Molecular passage through the particle is controlled by a potential similar to that in the transition rate theory, i.e. characterized by two stationary states with a finite energy difference separated by a potential barrier. The internal potential drop maintains the diode-like asymmetry of molecular fluxes through the particle, which results in the particles stationary drift.