A parametric variant of resonant activation: two-state model approach

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Statistical Mechanics
• Nonlinear Dynamics

Background:

• Particle escape dynamics are crucial in various physical and chemical processes.
• Fluctuating barriers and external driving fields introduce complex behaviors in escape phenomena.
• Resonant activation is a known phenomenon where noise enhances transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the resonant activation of a periodically driven particle escaping a fluctuating barrier.
• To analytically estimate quantifiers of the escape event in a parametric variant of resonant activation.
• To validate theoretical findings using numerical simulations.

Main Methods:

• Development of a two-state model to analytically describe the escape dynamics.
• Analysis of the mean first passage time as a function of driving field frequency.
• Numerical simulations on a continuous double-well model for verification.

Main Results:

• A resonance in the mean first passage time was observed when varying the driving field frequency.
• The study analytically estimated key quantifiers of the noise-induced escape event.
• Numerical simulations confirmed the theoretical predictions and the existence of resonance.

Conclusions:

• The periodically driven particle escape over a fluctuating barrier exhibits resonant activation.
• The two-state model provides an effective analytical framework for understanding these phenomena.
• The findings contribute to the understanding of noise-induced transitions in driven systems.