Amoeba-like motion of an oil droplet

In this paper, we demonstrate our recent attempt to construct a chemical model system of amoeboid motion. The system is intended to mimic biological motility based on the generation and collapse of an elastic aggregate; it is composed of oil, water, and surfactants. In this chemical system, the oil–water interface shows extension and retreat of spherical extrusions accompanied by the generation of aggregate on the interface. This instability of the oil–water interface can cause autonomous splitting and motion of a floating oil droplet. The current mathematical model based on the generation of a passive elastic gel is explained, as well as the discrepancy between the model and the experiments. We further describe recently observed microscopic characteristics of the aggregate formation process that might cause the interfacial instability. Finally, we discuss the disadvantage of a chemical model system compared with active colloid and in vitro biological systems, and also mention its potential advantages.     

Brownian motion with active fluctuations

We study the effect of different types of fluctuation on the motion of self-propelled particles in two spatial dimensions. We distinguish between passive and active fluctuations. Passive fluctuations (e.g., thermal fluctuations) are independent of the orientation of the particle. In contrast, active ones point parallel or perpendicular to the time dependent orientation of the particle. We derive analytical expressions for the speed and velocity probability density for a generic model of active Brownian particles, which yields an increased probability of low speeds in the presence of active fluctuations in comparison to the case of purely passive fluctuations. As a consequence, we predict sharply peaked Cartesian velocity probability densities at the origin. Finally, we show that such a behavior may also occur in non-Gaussian active fluctuations and discuss briefly correlations of the fluctuating stochastic forces.     

Non-Markovian quantal Brownian motion model

A non-Markovian version of the quantal Brownian motion model is given. The integrodifferential equations of motion are solved, establishing the analytic form of the resolvent poles and analyzing their properties. An explicit investigation of the poles at zero temperature is performed. In this frame a rule can be found that relates the relevant poles of the non-Markovian resolvent to the eigenvalues of the associated Markovian generator of the motion.     

活性布朗粒子运动的稳态解

拟可积Hamilton系统随机平均法可以用来研究活性布朗粒子运动.介绍了该随机平均法，利用它详细求解了布朗粒子运动的动力学方程，该方程描述了活性布朗粒子在平面上的运动，粒子受到的激励是Gaussian白噪声，受到的阻尼是Schienbein-Gruler速度依赖的磨擦模型.通过与数字模拟和与实验数据的比较，证明所得稳态解正确.对于Rayleigh和Erdamnn速度依赖的磨擦模型，也给出了稳态解. 关键词： 活性布朗粒子 拟可积Hamilton系统随机平均法 可积性 稳态解     

A mechanical model of Brownian motion

We consider a dynamical system consisting of one large massive particle and an infinite number of light point particles. We prove that the motion of the massive particle is, in a suitable limit, described by the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. This extends to three dimensions previous results by Holley in one dimension.On leave of the Institut für Theoretische Physik I der Universität Münster. Supported by a Nato fellowshipSupported by NSF Grant, No. PHY 78-03816Supported by NSF Grant, Phy 78-15920     

Diffusion in different models of active Brownian motion

Active Brownian particles (ABP) have served as phenomenological models of self-propelled motion in biology. We study the effective diffusion coefficient of two one-dimensional ABP models (simplified depot model and Rayleigh-Helmholtz model) differing in their nonlinear friction functions. Depending on the choice of the friction function the diffusion coefficient does or does not attain a minimum as a function of noise intensity. We furthermore discuss the case of an additional bias breaking the left-right symmetry of the system. We show that this bias induces a drift and that it generally reduces the diffusion coefficient. For a finite range of values of the bias, both models can exhibit a maximum in the diffusion coefficient vs. noise intensity.     

A kinetic model for Brownian motion

Summary The Fokker-Planck equation for the distribution function of a Brownian sphere is derived from the exact hierarchy of kinetic equations for a massive sphere in a bath of smaller spheres, using a multiple-time-scale analysis. Our earlier derivation is specialized to the limiting cases where the bath is either an ideal or Boltzmann gas. The resulting simplifications allow more physical insight, and lead to explicit expressions for the friction coefficient. Paper presented at the I International Conference on Scaling Concepts and Complex Fluids, Copanello, Italy, July 4–8, 1994.     

Collective motion of active Brownian particles in one dimension

We analyze a model of active Brownian particles with non-linear friction and velocity coupling in one spatial dimension. The model exhibits two modes of motion observed in biological swarms: A disordered phase with vanishing mean velocity and an ordered phase with finite mean velocity. Starting from the microscopic Langevin equations, we derive mean-field equations of the collective dynamics. We identify the fixed points of the mean-field equations corresponding to the two modes and analyze their stability with respect to the model parameters. Finally, we compare our analytical findings with numerical simulations of the microscopic model.     

The quasicrystal model of rotational Brownian motion

The quasicrystal model of the rotational Brownian motion in a liquid has been studied. The probability distribution of orientations of a Brownian particle is given in the form of a series of generalized spherical functions.     

Brownian motion near an absorbing sphere

The spherically symmetric solution of the Fokker-Planck equation with absorbing boundary is given in terms of a solution of an equivalent integral equation whose explicit form is found.     

A mechanical model of Brownian motion in half-space

We consider the motion of a heavy mass in an ideal gas in a semi-infinite system, with elastic collisions at the boundary. The motion is determined by elastic collisions. We prove in the Brownian motion limit the convergence of the position and velocity process of the heavy particle to a diffusion process in which velocity and position remain coupled.     

Brownian motion in magnetic field: A model for a semi-quantum stochastic process

The Brownian motion of an ensemble of charged particles in a quantizing magnetic field is considered in a simple quasi-classical model. The model describes random jumps between the Landau levels—corresponding to the quantized motion perpendicular to the magnetic field, and markovian fluctuations in momentum space—corresponding to the classical motion parallel to the field. A random walk dynamics is adopted for the former while an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process is considered for the latter. The resulting Fokker-Planck equations constitute a semi-quantum stochastic process. The equations are solved and several physical aspects of the underlying system are discussed.     

Brownian motion on a manifold

The question of the existence and correct form of equations describing Brownian motion on a manifold cannot be answered by mathematics alone, but requires a study of the underlying physics. As in classical mechanics, manifolds enter through the transformation of variables needed to account for the presence of constraints. The constraints are either due to a physical agency that forces the motion to remain on a manifold, or they represent conserved quantities of the equation of motion themselves. Also the Brownian motion is described either by a Smoluchowski diffusion equation or by a Kramers equation. The four cases lead to the following conclusions, (i) Smoluchowski diffusion with a conserved quantity reduces to a diffusion equation on the manifold; (ii) The same is true for diffusion with a physical constraint in three dimensions, but in more dimensions it may happen thatno autonomous equation on the manifold results; (iii) A Kramers equation with a conserved quantity reduces to an equation on the manifold, but in general not of the form of a Kramers equation; (iv) The Kramers equation with a physical constraint reduces to an autonomous Kramers equation on the manifold only for a special shape of that constraint. Throughout, only a certain type of physical constraints has been envisaged, and global questions are ignored. Finally, the customary heuristic construction of a Fokker-Planck equation for a mechanical system on a manifold is demonstrated for the case of Brownian rotation of a rigid body, and its shortcomings are emphasized.     

Radiation model for nanoparticle: extension of classical Brownian motion concepts

Emissive power per unit area of a blackbody has been modeled as a function of frequency using quantum electrodynamics, semi-classical and classical approaches in the available literature. Present work extends the classical lumped-parameter systems model of Brownian motion of nanoparticle to abstract an emissive power per unit area model for nanoparticle radiating at temperature greater than absolute zero. The analytical model developed in present work has been based on synergism of local deformation leading to local motion of nanoparticle due to photon impacts. The work suggests the hypothesis of a free parameter f′ characterizing the damping coefficient of resistive forces to local motion of nanoparticle and the manipulation of which is possible to realize desired emissivity from nanoparticles. The model is validated with the well established Planck’s radiation law.     

Brownian motion of a nonlinear oscillator

Starting with the Langevin equation for a nonlinear oscillator (the Duffing oscillator) undergoing ordinary Brownian motion, we derive linear transport laws for the motion of the average position and velocity of the oscillator. The resulting linear equations are valid for only small deviations of average values from thermal equilibrium. They contain a renormalized oscillator frequency and a renormalized and non-Markovian friction coefficient, both depending on the nonlinear part of the original equation of motion. Numerical computations of the position correlation function and its spectral density are presented. The spectral density compares favorably with experimental results obtained by Morton using an analog computer method.Technical Note BN-674. Research supported in part by NSF grant GP-12591, and in part by PHS Research Grant No. MG16426-02 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.     

Brownian motion friction parameter of an ion near a metal surface

We derive and evaluate a pertubative expression for the friction parameter of a Brownian motion formalism. Our model system consists of a single massive ion near the surface of an electron gas. The relation of this friction parameter to recently calculated dynamical corrections to the image potential is clarified.     

Brownian motion near a liquid-like membrane

The dynamics of a tracer molecule near a fluid membrane is investigated, with particular emphasis given to the interplay between the instantaneous position of the particle and membrane fluctuations. It is found that hydrodynamic interactions creates memory effects in the diffusion process. The random motion of the particle is then shown to cross over from a “bulk” to a “surface” diffusive mode, in a way that crucially depends on the elastic properties of the interface.