419 research outputs found
Rocking ratchets in 2D Josephson networks: collective effects and current reversal
A detailed numerical study on the directed motion of ac-driven vortices and
antivortices in 2D Josephson junction arrays (JJA) with an asymmetric periodic
pinning potential is reported. Dc-voltage rectification shows a strong
dependence on vortex density as well as an inversion of the vortex flow
direction with ac amplitude for a wide range of vortex density around =1/2
(=), in good agreement with recent experiments by Shal\'om
and Pastoriza [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 94}, 177001 (2005)]. The study of vortex
structures, spatial and temporal correlations, and vortex-antivortex pairs
formation gives insight into a purely collective mechanism behind the current
reversal effect.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Interaction of molecular motors can enhance their efficiency
Particles moving in oscillating potential with broken mirror symmetry are
considered. We calculate their energetic efficiency, when acting as molecular
motors carrying a load against external force. It is shown that interaction
between particles enhances the efficiency in wide range of parameters. Possible
consequences for artificial molecular motors are discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figure
Brownian Motors driven by Particle Exchange
We extend the Langevin dynamics so that particles can be exchanged with a
particle reservoir. We show that grand canonical ensembles are realized at
equilibrium and derive the relations of thermodynamics for processes between
equilibrium states. As an application of the proposed evolution rule, we devise
a simple model of Brownian motors driven by particle exchange. KEYWORDS:
Langevin Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Open SystemsComment: 5 pages, late
The flashing ratchet and unidirectional transport of matter
We study the flashing ratchet model of a Brownian motor, which consists in
cyclical switching between the Fokker-Planck equation with an asymmetric
ratchet-like potential and the pure diffusion equation. We show that the motor
really performs unidirectional transport of mass, for proper parameters of the
model, by analyzing the attractor of the problem and the stationary vector of a
related Markov chain.Comment: 11 page
Parrondo's games as a discrete ratchet
We write the master equation describing the Parrondo's games as a consistent
discretization of the Fokker--Planck equation for an overdamped Brownian
particle describing a ratchet. Our expressions, besides giving further insight
on the relation between ratchets and Parrondo's games, allow us to precisely
relate the games probabilities and the ratchet potential such that periodic
potentials correspond to fair games and winning games produce a tilted
potential.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Symmetry Relations for Trajectories of a Brownian Motor
A Brownian Motor is a nanoscale or molecular device that combines the effects
of thermal noise, spatial or temporal asymmetry, and directionless input energy
to drive directed motion. Because of the input energy, Brownian motors function
away from thermodynamic equilibrium and concepts such as linear response
theory, fluctuation dissipation relations, and detailed balance do not apply.
The {\em generalized} fluctuation-dissipation relation, however, states that
even under strongly thermodynamically non-equilibrium conditions the ratio of
the probability of a transition to the probability of the time-reverse of that
transition is the exponent of the change in the internal energy of the system
due to the transition. Here, we derive an extension of the generalized
fluctuation dissipation theorem for a Brownian motor for the ratio between the
probability for the motor to take a forward step and the probability to take a
backward step
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