Brownian pump with an unbiased external force

We investigate Brownian pump transport in the presence of an unbiased external force. The pumping system is embedded in a finite region bounded by two particle reservoirs. In the adiabatic limit, we obtain the analytical expressions of the current and the concentration ratio. We find that Brownian particles can be pumped through an asymmetric potential from a particle reservoir at low concentration to one at the same or higher concentration in the presence of an unbiased external force.      

Directed Transport of Brownian Particles in a Periodic Channel

The transport of Brownian particles in the infinite channel within an external force along the axis of the channel has been studied. In this paper, we study the transport of Brownian particle in the infinite channel within an external force along the axis of the channel and an external force in the transversal direction. In this more sophisticated situation, some property is similar to the simple situation, but some interesting property also appears.     

Directed Transport of Brownian Particles in a Periodic Channel

The transport of Brownian particles in the infinite channel within an external force along the axis of the channel has been studied. In this paper, we study the transport of Brownian particle in the infinite channel within an external force along the axis of the channel and an external force in the transversal direction. In this more sophisticated situation, some property is similar to the simple situation, but some interesting property also appears.     

外力作用下反馈耦合布朗棘轮的定向输运

本文研究了处于外力作用下双阱棘轮势中两个反馈耦合布朗粒子的定向输运性能. 通过对过阻尼朗之万方程的数值求解, 详细讨论了外力、热噪声与势阱的不对称参数等对耦合布朗粒子的平均速度、 有效扩散系数及Pe数的影响. 研究发现, 平均速度随外力呈周期性的变化规律. 同时耦合系统存在最优噪声强度会使定向输运达到最强. 值得指出的是棘轮系统可通过改变双阱势的结构来获得较强的定向流. 关键词： 耦合布朗棘轮 外力 双阱棘轮势 平均速度     

Current reversal and mass separation of inertial Brownian motors in a two-noise ratchet

Transport of an inertial Brownian motor moving in an asymmetric periodic potential driven by an external force and correlated noises is investigated. Using the numerical algorithm, the asymptotic mean velocity (AMV) for characterizing directed transport is obtained. The effects of the external driving force f and the correlation λ between the two noises on the AMV are discussed. The results manifest: (1) the external driving force and the correlation between the two noises can lead to the phenomena like current reversal. (2) The competitions among the external driving force and the correlation between the two noises are necessary for current reversal, i.e., fλ>0. (3) Different directions of transport are found for different masses of the Brownian particles under the condition fλ>0. Therefore a theoretical study is suggested for separating Brownian particles according to their different masses in the ratchet system.     

Directed transport of coupled Brownian ratchets with time-delayed feedback

A time-delayed feedback ratchet consisting of two Brownian particles interacting through the elastic spring is consid ered. The model describes the directed transport of coupled Brownian particles in an asymmetric two-well ratchet potential which can be calculated theoretically and implemented experimentally. We explore how the centre-of-mass velocity is af fected by the time delay, natural length of the spring, amplitude strength, angular frequency, external force, and the structure of the potential. It is found that the enhancement of the current can be obtained by varying the coupling strength of the delayed feedback system. When the thermal fluctuation and the harmonic potential match appropriately, directed current evolves periodically with the natural length of the spring and can achieve a higher transport coherence. Moreover, the external force and the amplitude strength can enhance the directed transport of coupled Brownian particles under certain conditions. It is expected that the polymer of large biological molecules may demonstrate a variety of novel cooperative effects in real propelling devices.     

温库边界对布朗热机性能的影响

研究了单势垒锯齿势中,布朗粒子在外力和空间周期温度场作用下构成的布朗热机的热力学性能.考虑布朗粒子动能变化以及高、低温库之间热漏引起的热流.用Smoluchowski方程描述粒子在黏性介质中的动力学特性,推导出高、低温库的热流以及热机功率和效率的解析表达式.通过数值计算分析势垒高度、外力和温库边界对热机性能的影响.研究表明:由于动能变化和热漏引起的不可逆热流的存在,布朗热机为不可逆热机,热机的功率效率特性为一闭合的关系曲线;势垒边界与温库边界重合时,热机的功率达到最大值;通过改变温库边界的位置,可以在一定范围内提高热机的效率,但同时减小了热机的输出功率.     

反馈控制棘轮的定向输运效率研究

研究了反馈耦合布朗棘轮中粒子处于负载力、时变外力及噪声作用下的定向输运问题.详细讨论了外力作用时间的不对称性、外势空间的不对称性及外力周期等对反馈耦合棘轮中粒子输运效率的影响.研究发现,外力的时间不对称度能促进反馈棘轮中粒子的定向输运,随时间不对称度的增大,反馈棘轮中粒子能获得较大的效率.然而,外势空间的不对称度能有效抑制耦合棘轮中粒子的扩散,达到增强耦合粒子定向输运的效果.同时还发现,存在最优的噪声强度能使耦合粒子的输运效率达到最大.     

周期性双势垒锯齿势中温差驱动的布朗热机

研究了周期性双势垒锯齿势中, 布朗粒子在外力作用下沿空间坐标方向交替地和高、低温热库接触构成的布朗热机的热力学性能. 考虑布朗粒子动能的变化以及高、 低温库之间热漏的存在, 通过数值计算分析势垒高度、势比、外力等参数对布朗热机效率的影响. 研究表明：当考虑热漏时, 布朗热机始终是不可逆的, 效率小于卡诺效率; 并且当热漏很小时, 势比的增大在一定程度上可提高布朗热机的效率; 其功率与效率之间的关系曲线为闭合线. 当不考虑热漏时, 其功率与效率之间的关系曲线为开型线, 但由于布朗粒子动能的变化引起的不可逆热流, 热机的效率依然小于卡诺效率. 关键词： 布朗热机 双势垒锯齿势 热漏 热力学性能     

Mobility in a periodic potential: A simple derivation

A simple derivation is given for the mobility of Brownian particles in a periodic potential in the overdamped regime. The method makes use of the fact that the steady state current density, in response to a uniform external force, is uniform in space and can be expressed as a product of the particle density and mean velocity field. To lowest order in the external force, the particle density is given by the equilibrium density in the absence of the external force.     

Suppression of diffusion by a weak external field in periodic potentials

Diffusion of overdamped Brownian particles in sawtooth potentials subject to a spatially uniform tilt is studied focusing on the influence of a small bias. It is shown that in the potentials with an asymmetry in the direction of tilting force, the application of a weak external force leads to a suppression of diffusive motion: the diffusion coefficient as a function of bias passes through a minimum which precedes an increase of diffusion caused by delocalization of particles. In the weak noise limit the effect can be understood as a competition between the forward and backward escape rates over potential barriers determining the behaviour of the diffusion coefficient in a weak external field. The asymptotic lower border for the reduction of spreading of particles at fixed temperature is established. The decrease of diffusion is accompanied by more rapid increase of current.     

Adiabatic Brownian ratchets with the inclusion of inertia

Inertial corrections to the drift velocity of a Brownian particle have been calculated for two main classes of Brownian ratchets operating in the adiabatic regime of fluctuations of the potential energy: first, the stationary periodic potential and dichotomic fluctuations of an external force with zero average value (rocking ratchet) and, second, dichotomic fluctuations of the periodic potential itself. It has been shown that, in contrast to passive transport at which the inertial correction always reduces the effective mobility and diffusion coefficients, inertial corrections for Brownian ratchets can play a constructive role, increasing the drift velocity at least at high temperatures.     

Performance characteristics of an irreversible thermally driven Brownian microscopic heat engine

Brownian particles moving in a spatially asymmetric but periodic potential (ratchet), with an external load force and connected to an alternating hot and cold reservoir, are modeled as a microscopic heat engine, referred to as the Brownian heat engine. The heat flow via both the potential energy and the kinetic energy of the particles are considered simultaneously. The forward and backward particle currents are determined using an Arrhenius' factor. Expressions for the power output and efficiency are derived analytically. The maximum power output and efficiency are calculated. It is expounded that the Brownian heat engine is always irreversible and its efficiency cannot approach the efficiency η_C of the Carnot heat engine even in quasistatic limit. The influence of the main parameters such as the load, the barrier height of the potential, the asymmetry of the potential and the temperature ratio of the heat reservoirs on the performance of the Brownian heat engine is discussed in detail. It is found that the Brownian heat engines may be controlled to operate in different regions through variation of some parameters.     

Fluctuations and dissipations in stochastic energetic resonance

By analyzing the fluctuations and dissipations of a Brownian particle colliding with the molecules in a fluid, the work exchanged between the Brownian particle constrained in a bistable potential well and an external periodic force is investigated. Characters of the stochastic energetic resonance are found and studied at different intensities of fluctuations and dissipations. The microscopic mechanism of energy exchange between the Brownian particle and the external force is revealed. The method used in this study provides a novel way of controlling the stochastic energetic resonance.     

Asymmetry of the shape of surroundings as a mechanism for generating directed motion

A mechanism for generating a directed motion of a Brownian particle in an asymmetric channel under the action of a varying force field is considered. The setup implementing such a mechanism resembles typical Brownian motors using asymmetry of the energy potential (ratchet effect). It is shown that under certain conditions, the asymmetry of the shape may ensure the maximal level of rectification for a large intensity of the external field drawing the system from equilibrium. The main question formulated here is the dependence of the rectifying ability of such a mechanism on the external action parameters and, above all, on the form of the time dependence. The results obtained here for a sine signal and an aperiodic train of pulses are compared with the previous results obtained by the authors for bipolar rectangular pulses. General estimates obtained for pulses of an arbitrary shape determine its influence on the velocity of directed motion. Analysis of the proposed mechanism is based of the combination of analytic calculations for a strong external field with simulation by the method of Brownian dynamics for arbitrary parameters.     

Brownian motion in periodic potentials in the low-friction-limit; nonlinear response to an external force

The Brownian motion of particles in a periodic potential in response to a constant external force is investigated in the low-friction-limit. By introducing an energy and a space variable and by making a proper self consistent ansatz, the Fokker-Planck equation is solved in the stationary state for small friction constants. We found out that, for fixed force to friction ratios, the mobility times the friction constant is a linear function of the square root of the friction constant if the damping is small enough. Explicit results for this linear function are presented for a cosine potential and compared to previous results.     

Current transport and mass separation for an asymmetric fluctuation system with correlated noises

We discuss the transport of an underdamped particle driven by an external fluctuation force in a spatially periodic asymmetric potential with correlated noises. The corresponding mathematical model is established. The movement of the steady current of an underdamped particle is presented by the method of the numerical simulation. It is indicated that the value of the current may be negative, zero, or positive. The external fluctuation force and correlated noises can effect the current direction. Under the appropriate parameters, the correlated noises intensity may even raise a reversal of the current.Besides, we have noticed a phenomenon that particles with different weight have different directions during movement by the impact of the correlated noises and external fluctuation force. Therefore, the Brownian particles can be effectively separated according to their masses.     

Collective dynamics of two-dimensional coupled Brownian motors

The transport properties of coupled Brownian particles in a two-dimensional rocking ratchet are investigated via Langevin simulation. The results show that the average center-of-mass velocity is multi-peaks function of the frequency of the driving force. Furthermore, in the 2D coupled Brownian motor system there are the collective effect and ratchet behavior, which can switch depending on the frequency of driving force. It turns out that the cooperative effect between the interaction of coupled particles and external rocking driving force facilitates collective directional motion and energy conversion.     

Thermodynamic characteristics of a Brownian heat pump in a spatially periodic temperature field

This paper has studied the thermodynamic performance of a thermal Brownian heat pump,which consists of Brownian particles moving at a periodic sawtooth potential with external forces and contacting with the alternating hot and cold reservoirs along the space coordinate.The heat flows driven by both potential and kinetic energies are taken into account.The analytical expressions for the heating load,coefficient of performance(COP) and power input of the Brownian heat pump are derived and the performance char...     

Brownian motion in periodic potentials; nonlinear response to an external force

The Brownian motion of particles in a periodic potential in response to a constant external force is investigated. By expanding the distribution function into Hermite-functions and into a Fourier-series, the Fokker-Planck-equation is transformed into a set of coupled equations for the expansion coefficients. These equations are solved by a continued fraction method for matrices. This continued fraction for the matrices converges for large, intermediate and even for very small damping constants. The mobility, the kinetic and potential energy for various damping constants and external forces are given for a cos-potential. The current-voltagecharacteristic of the Josephson tunneling junction is also shown.