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Self-Running Droplet: Emergence of Regular Motion from Nonequilibrium Noise

Yutaka Sumino, Nobuyuki Magome, Tsutomu Hamada, and Kenichi Yoshikawa
Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 068301 – Published 14 February 2005
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Abstract

Spontaneous motion of an oil droplet driven by nonequilibrium chemical conditions is reported. It is shown that the droplet undergoes regular rhythmic motion under appropriately designed boundary conditions, whereas it exhibits random motion in an isotropic environment. This study is a novel manifestation on the direct energy transformation of chemical energy into regular spatial motion under isothermal conditions. A simple mathematical equation including noise reproduces the essential feature of the transition from irregularity into periodic regular motion. Our results will inspire the theoretical study on the mechanism of molecular motors in living matter, working under significant influence of thermal fluctuation.

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  • Received 30 June 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.068301

©2005 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Yutaka Sumino, Nobuyuki Magome*, Tsutomu Hamada, and Kenichi Yoshikawa

  • Depertment of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University and CREST, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan

  • *Present address: Department of Food and Nutrition, Nagoya Bunri College, Nagoya 451-0077, Japan.
  • To whom correspondence should be addressed. Fax: 011-81-75-753-3779 Electronic address: yoshikaw@scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp

See Also

Motoring Oil Drops

Davide Castelvecchi
Phys. Rev. Focus 15, 7 (2005)

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Issue

Vol. 94, Iss. 6 — 18 February 2005

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