Condensed Matter Theory

Abstract:

We propose a very simple one-dimensional swimmer consisting of three spheres that are linked by rigid rods whose lengths can change between two values. With a periodic motion in a nonreciprocal fashion, which breaks the time-reversal symmetry as well as the translational symmetry, we show that the model device can swim at low Reynolds number. This model system could be used in constructing molecular-sized machines. © 2004 The American Physical Society.

Abstract:

We provide two complementary approaches to the treatment of disorder in a fundamental nonequilibrium model, the asymmetric simple exclusion process. First, a mean-field steady-state mapping is generalized to the disordered case, where it provides a mapping of probability distributions and demonstrates how disorder results in a new flat regime in the steady-state current-density plot for periodic boundary conditions. This effect was earlier observed by Phys. Rev. E 58, 1911 (1998)] but we provide a treatment for more general distributions of disorder, including both numerical results and analytic expressions for the width 2 Delta(C) of the flat section. We then apply an argument based on moving shock fronts [Europhys. Lett. 48, 257 (1999)]] to show how this leads to an increase in the high-current region of the phase diagram for open boundary conditions. Second, we show how equivalent results can be obtained easily by taking the continuum limit of the problem and then using a disordered version of the well-known Cole-Hopf mapping to linearize the equation. Within this approach we show that adding disorder induces a localization transformation (verified by numerical scaling), and Delta(C) maps to an inverse localization length, helping to give a physical interpretation to the problem.