119 research outputs found
Random-lattice models and simulation algorithms for the phase equilibria in two-dimensional condensed systems of particles with coupled internal and translational degrees of freedom
Mechanical coupling in flashing ratchets
We consider the transport of rigid objects with internal structure in a
flashing ratchet potential by investigating the overdamped behavior of a
rod-like chain of evenly spaced point particles. In 1D, analytical arguments
show that the velocity can reverse direction multiple times in response to
changing the size of the chain or the temperature of the heat bath. The
physical reason is that the effective potential experienced by the mechanically
coupled objects can have a different symmetry than that of individual objects.
All analytical predictions are confirmed by Brownian dynamics simulations.
These results may provide a route to simple, coarse-grained models of molecular
motor transport that incorporate an object's size and rotational degrees of
freedom into the mechanism of transport.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure
Ordering dynamics of microscopic models with nonconserved order parameter of continuous symmetry
Theory and simulations for hard-disk models of binary mixtures of molecules with internal degrees of freedom
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