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Updated: Apr 21, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Communication: Dominance of extreme statistics in a prototype many-body Brownian ratchet
Evan Hohlfeld1, Phillip L Geissler1
1Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Abstract:
Many forms of cell motility rely on Brownian ratchet mechanisms that involve multiple stochastic processes. We present a computational and theoretical study of the nonequilibrium statistical dynamics of such a many-body ratchet, in the specific form of a growing polymer gel that pushes a diffusing obstacle. We find that oft-neglected correlations among constituent filaments impact steady-state kinetics and significantly deplete the gel's density within molecular distances of its leading edge. These behaviors are captured quantitatively by a self-consistent theory for extreme fluctuations in filaments' spatial distribution.
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