Non-Markovian modeling of non-equilibrium fluctuations and dissipation in active viscoelastic biomatter

Abstract

Based on a Hamiltonian that incorporates the elastic coupling between a tracer and active particles, we derive a generalized Langevin model for the non-equilibrium mechanical response of active viscoelastic biomatter. Our model accounts for the power-law viscoelastic response of the embedding polymeric network as well as for the non-equilibrium energy transfer between active and tracer particles. Our analytical expressions for the frequency-dependent response function and the positional autocorrelation function agree nicely with experimental data for red blood cells and actomyosin networks with and without ATP. The fitted effective active-particle temperature, elastic constants and effective friction coefficients of our model allow straightforward physical interpretation.

6 pages, 2 figures; supplemental material (16 pages, 5 figures) is appended