Activation process driven by strongly non-Gaussian noises

Abstract

The constructive role of non-Gaussian random fluctuations is studied in the context of the passage over the dichotomously switching potential barrier. Our attention focuses on the interplay of the effects of independent sources of fluctuations: an additive stable noise representing non-equilibrium external random force acting on the system and a fluctuating barrier. In particular, the influence of the structure of stable noises on the mean escape time and on the phenomenon of resonant activation (RA) is investigated. By use of the numerical Monte Carlo method it is documented that the suitable choice of the barrier switching rate and random external fields may produce resonant phenomenon leading to the enhancement of the kinetics and the shortest, most efficient reaction time.