Brownian motion with stochastic energy renewals
We investigate the impact of intermittent energy injections on a Brownian particle, modeled as stochastic renewals of its kinetic energy to a fixed value. Between renewals, the particle follows standard underdamped Langevin dynamics. For energy renewals occurring at a constant rate, we find non-Boltzmannian energy distributions that undergo a shape transition driven by the competition between the velocity relaxation timescale and the renewal timescale. In the limit of rapid renewals, the dynamics mimics one-dimensional run-and-tumble motion, while at finite renewal rates, the effective diffusion coefficient exhibits non-monotonic behavior. To quantify the system's departure from equilibrium, we derive a modified fluctuation-response relation and demonstrate the absence of a consistent effective temperature. The dissipation is characterized by deviations from equilibrium-like response, captured via the Harada-Sasa relation. Finally, we extend the analysis to non-Poissonian renewal processes and introduce a dimensionless conversion coefficient that quantifies the thermodynamic cost of diffusion.
Authors
- Ion Santra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9772-2880)
- Kristian Stølevik Olsen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9982-6413)
Institutions
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE)
- University of Göttingen (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Chaos An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science
- Published
- 2025-09-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0285588
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung