Theoretical Physics Technical Talk

Stochastic interacting particles and non-Markov processes constitute an important and challenging arena of nonequilibrium physics, and the effects of nonequilibrium reservoirs remain less explored. We shall discuss some recent analytical results obtained in an elementary setup: a self propelled particle moving freely in a heated channel connected to particle reservoirs at the boundaries. The system exhibits interesting distribution and transport behaviour, including current reversal and optimisation and in particular a new 'global' transport effect. In the dynamics we find a crossover in relaxation related to band mixing. The late time transient, which deviates strongly from its passive counterpart, is proposed to follow a new universal distribution. Finally, we shall take a closer look at a simplified bath-system interaction and comment on the fluctuations, which are surprisingly rich and even anomalous.

Processes driven with nonequilibrium reservoirs may thus constitute another paradigm of nonequilibrium physics, with potential implications to both fundamentals and applications.