Enhanced diffusivity in microscopically reversible active matter

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that microscopic reversibility can enhance the diffusivity of nanoscale active particles, providing new insights into enzyme motion and guiding experimental investigations of propulsion mechanisms.

Contribution

It shows how microscopic reversibility influences particle mobility and diffusion, offering a novel theoretical perspective on nanoscale active matter.

Findings

Microscopic reversibility increases particle diffusivity.

External forces further enhance diffusion coefficients.

Theoretical framework aids interpretation of experimental data.

Abstract

Physics of self-propelled objects at the nanoscale is a rapidly developing research field where recent experiments focused on motion of individual catalytic enzymes. Contrary to the experimental advancements, theoretical understanding of possible self-propulsion mechanisms at these scales is limited. A particularly puzzling question concerns origins of reportedly high diffusivities of the individual enzymes. Here we start with the fundamental principle of microscopic reversibility (MR) of chemical reactions powering the self-propulsion and demonstrate that MR can lead to increase of the particle mobility and of short- and long-time diffusion coefficients as compared to dynamics where MR is neglected. Moreover, the diffusion coefficients can be enhanced by a constant external force. We propose a way to use these effects in experimental investigations of active propulsion mechanisms at the nanoscale. Our results can shed new light on interpretation of the measured diffusivities and help to test and to evaluate relevance of MR for the active motion of individual nanoswimmers.