Thermally induced directed currents in hard rod systems

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a one-dimensional hard-rod system with non-uniform heating and periodic potential can generate directed currents, analyzing the conditions for optimal transport and the effects of inelasticity and temperature profiles.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of thermally induced directed currents in hard-rod systems, highlighting the role of phase shifts and system parameters in transport efficiency.

Findings

Finite currents occur with specific phase shifts between heat-bath and potential.

Transport efficiency varies with inelasticity and temperature profile shape.

Certain configurations outperform others in directed current generation.

Abstract

We study the non equilibrium statistical properties of a one dimensional hard-rod fluid undergoing collisions and subject to a spatially non uniform Gaussian heat-bath and periodic potential. The system is able to sustain finite currents when the spatially inhomogeneous heat-bath and the periodic potential profile display an appropriate relative phase shift, $\phi$. By comparison with the collisionless limit, we determine the conditions for the most efficient transport among inelastic, elastic and non interacting rods. We show that the situation is complex as, depending on shape of the temperature profile, the current of one system may outperform the others.