Driven activation in a nonequilibrium bath (C06)

• Subject Area: Statistical Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Complex Systems, Soft and Fluid Matter, Biological Physics
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 425217212

The activated crossing of an energy barrier is a ubiquitous dynamical process in materials, yet activation far from thermal equilibrium and in high dimensional energy landscapes remains poorly understood. The project will develop a theoretical framework for studying the spectroscopy of intramolecular fluctuations of a bistable probe particle in a flowing fluid or deforming amorphous solid. The conditions for observing activated dynamics in the nonlinear (double-well) potential coupled to the driven particulate bath will be investigated from first principles. Furthermore, the concepts of mechanical noise and effective temperature will be scrutinized.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1432: Fluctuations and Nonlinearities in Classical and Quantum Matter beyond Equilibrium
• Applicant Institution: Universität Konstanz
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Matthias Fuchs