Modeling molecular motors
- Physicochimie Curie, U.M.R. 168, Institut Curie, 26 rue dUlm, F-75231 Paris Cedex 05 (France)
The authors present general considerations and simple models for the operation of isothermal motors at small scales, in asymmetric environments. Their work is inspired by recent observations on the behavior of molecular motors in the biological realm, where chemical energy is converted into mechanical energy. A generic Onsager-like description of the linear (close to equilibrium) regime is presented, which exhibits structural differences from the usual Carnot engines. Turning to more explicit models for a single motor, the authors show the importance of the time scales involved and of the spatial dependence of the motor{close_quote}s chemical activity. Considering the situation in which a large collection of such motors operates together. The authors exhibit new features among which are dynamical phase transitions formally similar to paramagnetic-ferromagnetic and liquid-vapor transitions. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
- OSTI ID:
- 545086
- Journal Information:
- Reviews of Modern Physics, Vol. 69, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Critical behavior of the aperiodic quantum Ising chain in a transverse magnetic field
Diffuse phase transition in ferroelectrics with mesoscopic heterogeneity: Mean-field theory