Drift in Diffusion Gradients

Materials

关键词: diffusion;    Brownian transport;    energy harvesting;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ma6083598

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The longstanding problem of Brownian transport in a heterogeneous quasi one-dimensional medium with space-dependent self-diffusion coefficient is addressed in the overdamped (zero mass) limit. A satisfactory mesoscopic description is obtained in the Langevin equation formalism by introducing an appropriate drift term, which depends on the system macroscopic observables, namely the diffuser concentration and current. The drift term is related to the microscopic properties of the medium. The paradoxical existence of a finite drift at zero current suggests the possibility of designing a Maxwell demon operating between two equilibrium reservoirs at the same temperature.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the author; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.