Interplay of frequency-synchronization with noise: current resonances, giant diffusion and diffusion-crests

We elucidate how the presence of noise may significantly interact with the synchronization mechanism of systems exhibiting frequency-locking. The response of these systems exhibits a rich variety of behaviors, such as resonances and anti-resonances which can be controlled by the intensity of noise. The transition between different locked regimes provokes the development of a multiple enhancement of the effective diffusion. This diffusion behavior is accompanied by a crest-like peak-splitting cascade when the distribution of the lockings is self-similar, as it occurs in periodic systems that are able to exhibit a Devil's staircase sequence of frequency-lockings.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, epl.cls. Accepted for publication in Europhysics Letter

Kinetic Equations for Diffusion in the Presence of Entropic Barriers

We use the mesoscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamics theory to derive the general kinetic equation of a system in the presence of potential barriers. The result is applied to the description of the evolution of systems whose dynamics is influenced by entropic barriers. We analyze in detail the case of diffusion in a domain of irregular geometry in which the presence of the boundaries induces an entropy barrier when approaching the exact dynamics by a coarsening of the description. The corresponding kinetic equation, named Fick-Jacobs equation, is obtained, and its validity is generalized through the formulation of a scaling law for the diffusion coefficient which depends on the shape of the boundaries. The method we propose can be useful to analyze the dynamics of systems at the nanoscale where the presence of entropy barriers is a common feature.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Diffusion in Stationary Flow from Mesoscopic Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics

We analyze the diffusion of a Brownian particle in a fluid under stationary flow. By using the scheme of non-equilibrium thermodynamics in phase space, we obtain the Fokker-Planck equation which is compared with others derived from kinetic theory and projector operator techniques. That equation exhibits violation of the fluctuation dissipation-theorem. By implementing the hydrodynamic regime described by the first moments of the non-equilibrium distribution, we find relaxation equations for the diffusion current and pressure tensor, allowing us to arrive at a complete description of the system in the inertial and diffusion regimes. The simplicity and generality of the method we propose, makes it applicable to more complex situations, often encountered in problems of soft condensed matter, in which not only one but more degrees of freedom are coupled to a non-equilibrium bath.Comment: 10 pages, accepted in Phys. Rev.

Diffusion in Stationary Flow from Mesoscopic Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics

We analyze the diffusion of a Brownian particle in a fluid under stationary flow. By using the scheme of non-equilibrium thermodynamics in phase space, we obtain the Fokker-Planck equation which is compared with others derived from kinetic theory and projector operator techniques. That equation exhibits violation of the fluctuation dissipation-theorem. By implementing the hydrodynamic regime described by the first moments of the non-equilibrium distribution, we find relaxation equations for the diffusion current and pressure tensor, allowing us to arrive at a complete description of the system in the inertial and diffusion regimes. The simplicity and generality of the method we propose, makes it applicable to more complex situations, often encountered in problems of soft condensed matter, in which not only one but more degrees of freedom are coupled to a non-equilibrium bath.Comment: 10 pages, accepted in Phys. Rev.

Noise suppression due to long-range Coulomb interaction: Crossover between diffusive and ballistic transport regimes

We present a Monte Carlo analysis of shot-noise suppression due to long-range Coulomb interaction in semiconductor samples under a crossover between diffusive and ballistic transport regimes. By varying the mean time between collisions we find that the strong suppression observed under the ballistic regime persists under quasi-ballistic conditions, before being washed out when a complete diffusive regime is reached.Comment: RevTex, 3 pages, 4 figures, minor correction

Gaussian noise and time-reversal symmetry in non-equilibrium Langevin models

We show that in driven systems the Gaussian nature of the fluctuating force and time-reversibility are equivalent properties. This result together with the potential condition of the external force drastically restricts the form of the probability distribution function, which can be shown to satisfy time-independent relations. We have corroborated this feature by explicitly analyzing a model for the stretching of a polymer and a model for a suspension of non-interacting Brownian particles in steady flow.Comment: 6 pages, submitted to PR