Bifurcation of Flux Ratio in Ionic Flows via a PNP model

Abstract

This study investigates the flux ratios of ionic flows using Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) models. The flux ratio measures the effect of permanent charge on the ion fluxes and can exhibit bifurcation, where a small parameter change causes a sudden change in system behavior. We identify the bifurcation points of flux ratios and analyze their dependence on boundary conditions and channel geometry. We use numerical simulations to verify our theoretical results and to explore the qualitative behaviors of fluxes and flux ratios at the bifurcation points. We provide insights into the dynamics of ion channels and their applications in ion channel design and optimization.