A simple phenomenologic model for particle transport in space-periodic potentials in underdamped systems

Abstract

We consider the motion of an underdamped Brownian particle in a tilted periodic potential in a wide temperature range. Based on the previous data [1] and the new simulation results we show that the underdamped motion of particles in space-periodic potentials can be considered as the overdamped motion in the velocity space in the effective double-well potential. Simple analytic expressions for the particle mobility and diffusion coefficient have been derived with the use of the presented model. The results of analytical computations match well with numerical simulation data.