Violation of action--reaction and self-forces induced by nonequilibrium fluctuations

Abstract

We show that the extension of Casimir-like forces to fluctuating fluids driven out of equilibrium can exhibit two interrelated phenomena forbidden at equilibrium: self-forces can be induced on single asymmetric objects and the action--reaction principle between two objects can be violated. These effects originate in asymmetric restrictions imposed by the objects' boundaries on the fluid's fluctuations. They are not ruled out by the second law of thermodynamics since the fluid is in a nonequilibrium state. Considering a simple reaction--diffusion model for the fluid, we explicitly calculate the self-force induced on a deformed circle. We also show that the action--reaction principle does not apply for the internal Casimir forces exerting between a circle and a plate. Their sum, instead of vanishing, provides the self-force on the circle-plate assembly.

arXiv comment4 pages, 1 figure. V2: New title; Abstract partially rewritten; Largely enhanced introductory and concluding remarks (incl. new Refs.)

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• Statistical mechanics for non-reciprocal forces
• Interacting Brownian dynamics in a nonequilibrium particle bath
• The out of equilibrium behavior of Casimir type fluctuation induced forces for free classical fields
• Emerging activity in bilayered dispersions with wake-mediated interactions
• Forces exerted by a correlated fluid on embedded inclusions
• Structure and dynamics of a glass-forming binary complex plasma with non-reciprocal interaction
• Structural correlations in diffusiophoretic colloidal mixtures with nonreciprocal interactions
• Casimir effect in swimmer suspensions
• Out of equilibrium thermal Casimir effect in a model polarizable material
• On Newton's Third Law and its Symmetry-Breaking Effects
• Dynamical approach to the Casimir effect
• Probing hydrodynamic fluctuation-induced forces with an oscillating robot