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Updated: May 2, 2026
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Age-dependent Dynamics of Locomotion in Caenorhabditis elegans: A Lyapunov Exponent Analysis
Published on: September 23, 2025
709
Nonlinear response of a linear chain to weak driving.
D Hennig1, C Mulhern2, A D Burbanks1
1Department of Mathematics, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3HF, United Kingdom.
Summary
A weak external field can drive coupled units to escape a potential barrier quickly. This efficient escape relies on coordinated energy transfer and collective behavior within the chain.
Area of Science:
- Statistical mechanics
- Nonlinear dynamics
- Condensed matter physics
Background:
- Metastable potentials are common in physical systems.
- Understanding escape dynamics is crucial for predicting system behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the escape dynamics of coupled units over a potential barrier.
- To explore the role of external driving fields and internal chain dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Simulations of a chain of coupled units in a metastable potential.
- Analysis of energy transfer, transition state formation, and collective phenomena.
Main Results:
- A weak, frequency-tuned external field significantly accelerates escape.
- Escape is facilitated by phonon-induced energy localization and breather formation.
- Cooperative energy transfer within the chain is key to efficient, low-energy escape.
Conclusions:
- Cooperative effects and collective dynamics dramatically enhance escape rates.
- External fields can be used to control and optimize escape processes.
- Entropic localization and breather coalescence play a synergistic role in escape.
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