Thermally Driven Elastic Micromachines

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical model showing how an elastic three-sphere micromachine can achieve net motion solely through thermal fluctuations in nonequilibrium heat baths, revealing a new mechanism for micromachine locomotion.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical relation linking velocity and temperature differences in a thermal fluctuation-driven micromachine, highlighting a novel locomotion mechanism.

Findings

Net motion arises from thermal fluctuations without prescribed spring movement

Velocity relates to temperature differences and heat flows

Model suggests new biological micromachine locomotion mechanisms

Abstract

We discuss the directional motion of an elastic three-sphere micromachine in which the spheres are in equilibrium with independent heat baths having different temperatures. Even in the absence of prescribed motion of springs, such a micromachine can gain net motion purely because of thermal fluctuations. A relation connecting the average velocity and the temperatures of the spheres is analytically obtained. This velocity can also be expressed in terms of the average heat flows in the steady state. Our model suggests a new mechanism for the locomotion of micromachines in nonequilibrium biological systems.