Segregation and phase inversion of strongly and weakly fluctuated Brownian particle mixtures in spherical containers

Abstract

We investigate the segregation pattern formations of strongly and weakly fluctuated Brownian particle mixtures, which are confined in spherical containers with finite volumes. We consider systems where the container restricts the motions of particles combining two familiar methods: spherically symmetric linear potential and the container edge wall. In such systems, the following two segregation patterns are observed. When the container radius is large enough, more weakly fluctuated particles accumulate around the center of the container than strongly fluctuated particles. On the other hand, inverted distributions of strongly and weakly fluctuated particles are observed when the container radius is small. We also found a similar segregation and phase inversion if such particle mixtures construct a chain (hetero-fluctuated polymer) and are confined in a container with no linear potential. We provide the qualitative mechanism and the relationships for the biopolymer behaviors of such phase inversions.