Velocity Anomaly of a Driven Tracer in a Confined Crowded Environment

P. Illien , O. Benichou , G. Oshanin , R. Voituriez

Bibtex , URL
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 113, 3
Published 16 Jul. 2014
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.030603
ISSN: 0031-9007

Abstract

We consider a discrete model in which a tracer performs a random walk biased by an external force, in a dense bath of particles performing symmetric random walks constrained by hard-core interactions. We reveal the emergence of a striking velocity anomaly in confined geometries: in quasi-1D systems such as stripes or capillaries, the velocity of the tracer displays a long-lived plateau before ultimately dropping to a lower value. We develop an analytical solution that quantitatively accounts for this intriguing behavior. Our analysis suggests that such a velocity anomaly could be a generic feature of driven dynamics in quasi-1D crowded systems.

Cette publication est associée à :

Dynamique stochastique des systèmes réactifs et vivants