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Updated: Jun 11, 2025

The Diffusion of Passive Tracers in Laminar Shear Flow
Published on: May 1, 2018
The fluctuation-dissipation relation holds for a macroscopic tracer in an active bath
Dima Boriskovsky1, Benjamin Lindner2,3, Yael Roichman1,4
1Raymond & Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel. Roichman@taue.tau.ac.il.
Abstract:
The fluctuation-dissipation relation (FDR) links thermal fluctuations and dissipation at thermal equilibrium through temperature. Extending it beyond equilibrium conditions in pursuit of broadening thermodynamics is often feasible, albeit with system-dependent specific conditions. We demonstrate experimentally that a generalized FDR holds for a harmonically trapped tracer colliding with self-propelled walkers. The generalized FDR remains valid across a large spectrum of active fluctuation frequencies, extending from underdamped to critically damped dynamics, which we attribute to a single primary channel for energy input and dissipation in our system.
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