Document type
ArticleVersion
Published versionPublication date
All rights reserved
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/133602
Running Faster Together: Huge Speed up of Thermal Ratchets due to Hydrodynamic Coupling
Journal Title
Director/Tutor
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Related resource
Abstract
We present simulations that reveal a surprisingly large effect of hydrodynamic coupling on the speed of thermal ratchet motors. The model that we use considers particles performing thermal ratchet motion in a hydrodynamic solvent. Using particle-based, mesoscopic simulations that maintain local momentum conservation, we analyze quantitatively how the coupling to the surrounding fluid affects ratchet motion. We find that coupling can increase the mean velocity of the moving particles by almost 2 orders of magnitude, precisely because ratchet motion has both a diffusive and a deterministic component. The resulting coupling also leads to the formation of aggregates at longer times. The correlated motion that we describe increases the efficiency of motor-delivered cargo transport and we speculate that the mechanism that we have uncovered may play a key role in speeding up molecular motor-driven intracellular transport.
Subject
Subject (English)
Citation
Citation
MALGARETTI, Paolo, PAGONABARRAGA MORA, Ignacio and FRENKEL, Daan. Running Faster Together: Huge Speed up of Thermal Ratchets due to Hydrodynamic Coupling. Physical Review Letters. 2012. Vol. 109, num. 16, pags. 168101. ISSN 0031-9007. [consulted: 8 of June of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/133602