Moupriya Das

Entropic resonant activation

Varying cross section of confinement of a Brownian particle in two or higher dimensions results in an effective entropic barrier in reduced dimension. When the boundaries are subjected to periodic modulation, it is possible to observe a resonance of the mean first passage time between the lobes of a bilobal confined system as a function of the modulating frequency of the walls of the enclosure. The entropic resonant activation and the associated features, which are characteristic of the shape and size of the confinement, are amenable to a theoretical analysis in terms of a two-state model.

Shape fluctuation-induced dynamic hysteresis

We consider a system of Brownian particles confined in a two-dimensional bilobal enclosure whose walls are driven in time periodically by an external perturbation. The response of the particles under shape modulation is characterized by a relaxational delay which results in a non-vanishing area of the response function-field loop, response function being the integrated probability of residence of the particles in any of the lobes. This phenomenon is an entropic analogue of dynamical hysteresis, which vanishes in the quasi-static limit. The hysteresis loop area depends on temperature, strength of modulating field, and the geometrical parameters of the enclosure and exhibits a turnover as a function of frequency of the field.

Entropic noise-induced nonequilibrium transition

We consider a system of Brownian particles confined in a two-dimensional bilobal enclosure. Varying cross-section of the confinement results in an effective entropic potential in reduced dimension. We show that the system may undergo an entropic noise-induced transition when the shape of the stationary probability density changes qualitatively from bimodal to trimodal type under the influence of a multiplicative noise.

Dynamical hysteresis in a self-oscillating polymer gel.

An ionic polymer gel may undergo rhythmical swelling-deswelling kinetics induced by chemical oscillation. We demonstrate that the gel admits of dynamical hysteresis, which is manifested in the non-vanishing area of the response function--concentration (of reaction substrate) hysteresis loop, the response function being the integrated probability of residence of the polymer in any one of the swelled or deswelled states. The loop area depends on temperature and exhibits a turnover as a function of the strength of thermal noise--a phenomenon reminiscent of stochastic resonance. The numerical simulations agree well with our proposed analytical scheme.

Shape change as entropic phase transition: A study using Jarzynski relation#

AbstractA Brownian particle in a confined space with varying cross-section, experiences an effective entropic potential in reduced dimension. We modulate the shape of the confinement and examine the nature of dynamical transition between two distinct thermalized entropic states corresponding to different shapes of the enclosure, using Jarzynski relation on the basis of work-distribution over non-equilibrium paths. Our analysis reveals that modulating the shape of the boundaries of the enclosure makes the resident Brownian particles feel an entropic phase transition. Graphical AbstractShape of a system plays an important role in non-equilibrium transitions between two thermalized states when the system size is finite. It is shown that modulation of the shape of an enclosure may make the resident Brownian particles feel an entropic phase transition.

Self-Averaging Fluctuations in the Chaoticity of Simple Fluids

Bulk properties of equilibrium liquids are a manifestation of intermolecular forces. Here, we show how these forces imprint on dynamical fluctuations in the Lyapunov exponents for simple fluids with and without attractive forces. While the bulk of the spectrum is strongly self-averaging, the first Lyapunov exponent self-averages only weakly and at a rate that depends on the length scale of the intermolecular forces; short-range repulsive forces quantitatively dominate longer-range attractive forces, which act as a weak perturbation that slows the convergence to the thermodynamic limit. Regardless of intermolecular forces, the fluctuations in the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy rate diverge, as one expects for an extensive quantity, and the spontaneous fluctuations of these dynamical observables obey fluctuation-dissipation-like relationships. Together, these results are a representation of the van der Waals picture of fluids and another lens through which we can view the liquid state.

Landauer's blow-torch effect in systems with entropic potential.

We consider local heating of a part of a two-dimensional bilobal enclosure of a varying cross section confining a system of overdamped Brownian particles. Since varying cross section in higher dimension results in an entropic potential in lower dimension, local heating alters the relative stability of the entropic states. We show that this blow-torch effect modifies the entropic potential in a significant way so that the resultant effective entropic potential carries both the features of variation of width of the confinement and variation of temperature along the direction of transport. The reduced probability distribution along the direction of transport calculated by full numerical simulations in two dimensions agrees well with our analytical findings. The extent of population transfer in the steady state quantified in terms of the integrated probability of residence of the particles in either of the two lobes exhibits interesting variation with the mean position of the heated region. Our study reveals that heating around two particular zones of a given lobe maximizes population transfer to the other.

Landauer's blowtorch effect as a thermodynamic cross process: Brownian cooling.

The local heating of a selected region in a double-well potential alters the relative stability of the two wells and gives rise to an enhancement of population transfer to the cold well. We show that this Landauers blowtorch effect may be considered in the spirit of a thermodynamic cross process linearly connecting the flux of particles and the thermodynamic force associated with the temperature difference and consequently ensuring the existence of a reverse cross effect. This reverse effect is realized by directing the thermalized particles in a double-well potential by application of an external bias from one well to the other, which suffers cooling.