Communication: Dominance of extreme statistics in a prototype many-body Brownian ratchet

Journal Article · Tue Oct 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Chemical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4899052· OSTI ID:22310719

Hohlfeld, Evan ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

Many forms of cell motility rely on Brownian ratchet mechanisms that involve multiple stochastic processes. We present a computational and theoretical study of the nonequilibrium statistical dynamics of such a many-body ratchet, in the specific form of a growing polymer gel that pushes a diffusing obstacle. We find that oft-neglected correlations among constituent filaments impact steady-state kinetics and significantly deplete the gel's density within molecular distances of its leading edge. These behaviors are captured quantitatively by a self-consistent theory for extreme fluctuations in filaments' spatial distribution.

• OSTI ID: 22310719
• Journal Information: Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 141, Issue 16; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
GELS
KINETICS
POLYMERS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES