Langevin Equation for the Rayleigh model with finite-ranged interactions

Abstract

Both linear and nonlinear Langevin equations are derived directly from the Liouville equation for an exactly solvable model consisting of a Brownian particle of mass $M$ interacting with ideal gas molecules of mass $m$ via a quadratic repulsive potential. Explicit microscopic expressions for all kinetic coefficients appearing in these equations are presented. It is shown that the range of applicability of the Langevin equation, as well as statistical properties of random force, may depend not only on the mass ratio $m/M$ but also by the parameter $Nm/M$, involving the average number $N$ of molecules in the interaction zone around the particle. For the case of a short-ranged potential, when $N\ll 1$, analysis of the Langevin equations yields previously obtained results for a hard-wall potential in which only binary collisions are considered. For the finite-ranged potential, when multiple collisions are important ($N\gg 1$), the model describes nontrivial dynamics on time scales that are on the order of the collision time, a regime that is usually beyond the scope of more phenomenological models.

21 pages, 1 figure. To appear in Phys. Rev. E

References in corpus (2)

• Stationary Motion of the Adiabatic Piston
• Microscopic Derivation of Non-Markovian Thermalization of a Brownian Particle

Cited by in corpus (12)

• Thermalization in open classical systems with finite heat baths
• Generalized Fokker-Planck equation, Brownian motion, and ergodicity
• Stable Equilibrium Based on Lévy Statistics: A Linear Boltzmann Equation Approach
• Langevin equation for the extended Rayleigh model with an asymmetric bath
• Transient rectification of Brownian diffusion with asymmetric initial distribution
• On the higher order corrections to the Fokker-Planck equation
• On the Second Law of thermodynamics and the piston problem
• Does a Brownian particle equilibrate?
• Quasirelativistic Langevin equation
• Stochastic dynamics beyond the weak coupling limit: thermalization
• Brownian diode: Molecular motor based on a semi-permeable Brownian particle with internal potential drop
• Non-Markovian quantum Brownian motion: a non-Hamiltonian approach