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Effects of spatial diffusion on nonequilibrium steady states in a model for prebiotic evolution
B F Intoy1, A Wynveen1, J W Halley1
1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
Physical Review. E
|November 15, 2016
Summary
Spatial diffusion impacts prebiotic evolution models. New research explores how chemical constituents move between reactors, revealing three distinct nonequilibrium states: diffusively alive locally dead (DALD), diffusively dead locally alive (DDLA), and diffusively alive locally alive (DALA).
Area of Science:
- Origin of Life Studies
- Chemical Systems Biology
- Theoretical Chemistry
Background:
- Prebiotic evolution models often simplify chemical interactions assuming a
- well-mixed
- environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of spatial diffusion on a Kauffman-like model for prebiotic evolution.
- To analyze the emergence and characteristics of nonequilibrium steady states in a spatially extended chemical system.
Main Methods:
- Numerical simulation of a two-dimensional lattice of reactors.
- Modeling chemical constituent hopping between adjacent reactors with a diffusion parameter (η).
- Analyzing three distinct nonequilibrium steady states: DALD, DDLA, and DALA.
Main Results:
- Identified and characterized three nonequilibrium steady states: DALD, DDLA, and DALA.
- Observed rapid population growth and low entropy in many DALA states due to "exploding sites".
- Noted sharp temporal transitions in DALA states and less sharp transitions in DALD states.
Conclusions:
- Spatial diffusion significantly alters the dynamics of prebiotic evolution models compared to well-mixed scenarios.
- The emergence of specific nonequilibrium states, like DALA with rapid growth, highlights complex self-organization possibilities in early chemical systems.
- The study provides insights into the conditions favoring the emergence of complex chemical structures and dynamics relevant to abiogenesis.
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