TY - JOUR A1 - Mutothya, Nicholas Mwilu A1 - Xu, Yong A1 - Li, Yongge A1 - Metzler, Ralf A1 - Mutua, Nicholas Muthama T1 - First passage dynamics of stochastic motion in heterogeneous media driven by correlated white Gaussian and coloured non-Gaussian noises JF - Journal of physics. Complexity N2 - We study the first passage dynamics for a diffusing particle experiencing a spatially varying diffusion coefficient while driven by correlated additive Gaussian white noise and multiplicative coloured non-Gaussian noise. We consider three functional forms for position dependence of the diffusion coefficient: power-law, exponential, and logarithmic. The coloured non-Gaussian noise is distributed according to Tsallis' q-distribution. Tracks of the non-Markovian systems are numerically simulated by using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta algorithm and the first passage times (FPTs) are recorded. The FPT density is determined along with the mean FPT (MFPT). Effects of the noise intensity and self-correlation of the multiplicative noise, the intensity of the additive noise, the cross-correlation strength, and the non-extensivity parameter on the MFPT are discussed. KW - first passage KW - diffusion KW - non-Gaussian KW - correlated noise Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/2632-072X/ac35b5 SN - 2632-072X VL - 2 PB - IOP Publishing CY - Bristol ER - TY - THES A1 - Sposini, Vittoria T1 - The random diffusivity approach for diffusion in heterogeneous systems N2 - The two hallmark features of Brownian motion are the linear growth < x2(t)> = 2Ddt of the mean squared displacement (MSD) with diffusion coefficient D in d spatial dimensions, and the Gaussian distribution of displacements. With the increasing complexity of the studied systems deviations from these two central properties have been unveiled over the years. Recently, a large variety of systems have been reported in which the MSD exhibits the linear growth in time of Brownian (Fickian) transport, however, the distribution of displacements is pronouncedly non-Gaussian (Brownian yet non-Gaussian, BNG). A similar behaviour is also observed for viscoelastic-type motion where an anomalous trend of the MSD, i.e., ~ ta, is combined with a priori unexpected non-Gaussian distributions (anomalous yet non-Gaussian, ANG). This kind of behaviour observed in BNG and ANG diffusions has been related to the presence of heterogeneities in the systems and a common approach has been established to address it, that is, the random diffusivity approach. This dissertation explores extensively the field of random diffusivity models. Starting from a chronological description of all the main approaches used as an attempt of describing BNG and ANG diffusion, different mathematical methodologies are defined for the resolution and study of these models. The processes that are reported in this work can be classified in three subcategories, i) randomly-scaled Gaussian processes, ii) superstatistical models and iii) diffusing diffusivity models, all belonging to the more general class of random diffusivity models. Eventually, the study focuses more on BNG diffusion, which is by now well-established and relatively well-understood. Nevertheless, many examples are discussed for the description of ANG diffusion, in order to highlight the possible scenarios which are known so far for the study of this class of processes. The second part of the dissertation deals with the statistical analysis of random diffusivity processes. A general description based on the concept of moment-generating function is initially provided to obtain standard statistical properties of the models. Then, the discussion moves to the study of the power spectral analysis and the first passage statistics for some particular random diffusivity models. A comparison between the results coming from the random diffusivity approach and the ones for standard Brownian motion is discussed. In this way, a deeper physical understanding of the systems described by random diffusivity models is also outlined. To conclude, a discussion based on the possible origins of the heterogeneity is sketched, with the main goal of inferring which kind of systems can actually be described by the random diffusivity approach. N2 - Die zwei grundlegenden Eigenschaften der Brownschen Molekularbewegung sind das lineare Wachstum < x2(t)> = 2Ddt der mittleren quadratischen Verschiebung (mean squared displacement, MSD) mit dem Diffusionskoeffizienten D in Dimension d und die Gauß Verteilung der räumlichen Verschiebung. Durch die zunehmende Komplexität der untersuchten Systeme wurden in den letzten Jahren Abweichungen von diesen zwei grundlegenden Eigenschaften gefunden. Hierbei, wurde über eine große Anzahl von Systemen berichtet, in welchen die MSD das lineare Wachstum der Brownschen Bewegung (Ficksches Gesetzt) zeigt, jedoch die Verteilung der Verschiebung nicht einer Gaußverteilung folgt (Brownian yet non-Gaussian, BNG). Auch in viskoelastischen Systemen Bewegung wurde ein analoges Verhalten beobachtet. Hier ist ein anomales Verhalten des MSD, ~ ta, in Verbindung mit einer a priori unerwarteten nicht gaußchen Verteilung (anomalous yet non-Gaussian, ANG). Dieses Verhalten, welches sowohl in BNG- als auch in ANG-Diffusion beobachtet wird, ist auf eine Heterogenität in den Systemen zurückzuführen. Um diese Systeme zu beschreiben, wurde ein einheitlicher Ansatz, basierend auf den Konzept der zufälligen Diffusivität, entwickelt. Die vorliegende Dissertation widmet sich ausführlich Modellen mit zufälligen Diffusivität. Ausgehend von einem chronologischen Überblick der grundlegenden Ansätze der Beschreibung der BNG- und ANG-Diffusion werden mathematische Methoden entwickelt, um die verschiedenen Modelle zu untersuchen. Die in dieser Arbeit diskutierten Prozesse können in drei Kategorien unterteil werden: i) randomly-scaled Gaussian processes, ii) superstatistical models und iii) diffusing diffusivity models, welche alle zu den allgemeinen Modellen mit zufälligen Diffusivität gehören. Der Hauptteil dieser Arbeit ist die Untersuchung auf die BNG Diffusion, welche inzwischen relativ gut verstanden ist. Dennoch werden auch viele Beispiele für die Beschreibung von ANG-Diffusion diskutiert, um die Möglichkeiten der Analyse solcher Prozesse aufzuzeigen. Der zweite Teil der Dissertation widmet sich der statistischen Analyse von Modellen mit zufälligen Diffusivität. Eine allgemeine Beschreibung basierend auf dem Konzept der momenterzeugenden Funktion wurde zuerst herangezogen, um grundsätzliche statistische Eigenschaften der Modelle zu erhalten. Anschließend konzentriert sich die Diskussion auf die Analyse der spektralen Leistungsdichte und der first passage Statistik für einige spezielle Modelle mit zufälligen Diffusivität. Diese Ergebnisse werden mit jenen der normalen Brownschen Molekularbewegung verglichen. Dadurch wird ein tiefergehendes physikalisches Verständnis über die Systeme erlangt, welche durch ein Modell mit zufälligen Diffusivität beschrieben werden. Abschließend, zeigt eine Diskussion mögliche Ursachen für die Heterogenität auf, mit dem Ziel darzustellen, welche Arten von Systemen durch den Zufalls-Diffusivitäts-Ansatz beschrieben werden können. N2 - Las dos características distintivas del movimiento Browniano son el crecimiento lineal < x2(t)> = 2Ddt del desplazamiento cuadrático medio (mean squared displacement}, MSD) con el coeficiente de difusión D en dimensiones espaciales d, y la distribución Gaussiana de los desplazamientos. Con los continuos avances en tecnologías experimentales y potencia de cálculo, se logra estudiar con mayor detalle sistemas cada vez más complejos y algunos sistemas revelan desviaciones de estas dos propiedades centrales. En los últimos años se ha observado una gran variedad de sistemas en los que el MSD presenta un crecimiento lineal en el tiempo (típico del transporte Browniano), no obstante, la distribución de los desplazamientos es pronunciadamente no Gaussiana (Brownian yet non-Gaussian diffusion}, BNG). Un comportamiento similar se observa asimismo en el caso del movimiento de tipo viscoelástico, en el que se combina una tendencia anómala del MSD, es decir, ~ ta, con a, con distribuciones inesperadamente no Gaussianas (Anomalous yet non-Gaussian diffusion, ANG). Este tipo de comportamiento observado en las difusiones BNG y ANG se ha relacionado con la presencia de heterogeneidades en los sistemas y se ha establecido un enfoque común para abordarlo: el enfoque de difusividad aleatoria. En la primera parte de esta disertación se explora extensamente el área de los modelos de difusividad aleatoria. A través de una descripción cronológica de los principales enfoques utilizados para caracterizar las difusiones BNG y ANG, se definen diferentes metodologías matemáticas para la resolución y el estudio de estos modelos. Los procesos expuestos en este trabajo, pertenecientes a la clase más general de modelos de difusividad aleatoria, pueden clasificarse en tres subcategorías: i) randomly-scaled Gaussian processes, ii) superstatistical models y iii) diffusing diffusivity models. Fundamentalmente el enfoque de este trabajo se centra en la difusión BNG, bien establecida y ampliamente estudiada en los últimos años. No obstante, múltiples ejemplos son examinados para la descripción de la difusión ANG, a fin de remarcar los diferentes modelos de estudio disponibles hasta el momento. En la segunda parte de la disertación se desarolla el análisis estadístico de los procesos de difusividad aleatoria. Inicialmente se expone una descripción general basada en el concepto de la función generadora de momentos para obtener las propiedades estadísticas estándar de los modelos. A continuación, la discusión aborda el estudio de la densidad espectral de potencia y la estadística del tiempo de primer paso para algunos modelos de difusividad aleatoria. Adicionalmente, los resultados del método de difusividad aleatoria se comparan junto a los de movimiento browniano estándar. Como resultado, se obtiene una mayor comprensión física de los sistemas descritos por los modelos de difusividad aleatoria. Para concluir, se presenta una discusión acerca de los posibles orígenes de la heterogeneidad, con el objetivo principal de inferir qué tipo de sistemas pueden describirse apropiadamente según el enfoque de la difusividad aleatoria. KW - diffusion KW - non-gaussianity KW - random diffusivity KW - power spectral analysis KW - first passage KW - Diffusion KW - zufälligen Diffusivität KW - spektrale Leistungsdichte KW - first passage KW - Heterogenität Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-487808 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sposini, Vittoria A1 - Chechkin, Aleksei V. A1 - Metzler, Ralf T1 - First passage statistics for diffusing diffusivity JF - Journal of physics : A, Mathematical and theoretical N2 - A rapidly increasing number of systems is identified in which the stochastic motion of tracer particles follows the Brownian law < r(2)(t)> similar or equal to Dt yet the distribution of particle displacements is strongly non-Gaussian. A central approach to describe this effect is the diffusing diffusivity (DD) model in which the diffusion coefficient itself is a stochastic quantity, mimicking heterogeneities of the environment encountered by the tracer particle on its path. We here quantify in terms of analytical and numerical approaches the first passage behaviour of the DD model. We observe significant modifications compared to Brownian-Gaussian diffusion, in particular that the DD model may have a faster first passage dynamics. Moreover we find a universal crossover point of the survival probability independent of the initial condition. KW - diffusion KW - superstatistics KW - first passage Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8121/aaf6ff SN - 1751-8113 SN - 1751-8121 VL - 52 IS - 4 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Palyulin, Vladimir V. A1 - Chechkin, Aleksei V. A1 - Klages, Rainer A1 - Metzler, Ralf T1 - Search reliability and search efficiency of combined Levy-Brownian motion: long relocations mingled with thorough local exploration JF - Journal of physics : A, Mathematical and theoretical N2 - A combined dynamics consisting of Brownian motion and Levy flights is exhibited by a variety of biological systems performing search processes. Assessing the search reliability of ever locating the target and the search efficiency of doing so economically of such dynamics thus poses an important problem. Here we model this dynamics by a one-dimensional fractional Fokker-Planck equation combining unbiased Brownian motion and Levy flights. By solving this equation both analytically and numerically we show that the superposition of recurrent Brownian motion and Levy flights with stable exponent alpha < 1, by itself implying zero probability of hitting a point on a line, leads to transient motion with finite probability of hitting any point on the line. We present results for the exact dependence of the values of both the search reliability and the search efficiency on the distance between the starting and target positions as well as the choice of the scaling exponent a of the Levy flight component. KW - random search process KW - first passage KW - first arrival KW - Levy flights KW - Brownian motion Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8113/49/39/394002 SN - 1751-8113 SN - 1751-8121 VL - 49 SP - 2189 EP - 2193 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krüsemann, Henning A1 - Godec, Aljaz A1 - Metzler, Ralf T1 - Ageing first passage time density in continuous time random walks and quenched energy landscapes JF - Journal of physics : A, Mathematical and theoretical N2 - We study the first passage dynamics of an ageing stochastic process in the continuous time random walk (CTRW) framework. In such CTRW processes the test particle performs a random walk, in which successive steps are separated by random waiting times distributed in terms of the waiting time probability density function Psi (t) similar or equal to t(-1-alpha) (0 <= alpha <= 2). An ageing stochastic process is defined by the explicit dependence of its dynamic quantities on the ageing time t(a), the time elapsed between its preparation and the start of the observation. Subdiffusive ageing CTRWs with 0 < alpha < 1 describe systems such as charge carriers in amorphous semiconducters, tracer dispersion in geological and biological systems, or the dynamics of blinking quantum dots. We derive the exact forms of the first passage time density for an ageing subdiffusive CTRW in the semi-infinite, confined, and biased case, finding different scaling regimes for weakly, intermediately, and strongly aged systems: these regimes, with different scaling laws, are also found when the scaling exponent is in the range 1 < alpha < 2, for sufficiently long ta. We compare our results with the ageing motion of a test particle in a quenched energy landscape. We test our theoretical results in the quenched landscape against simulations: only when the bias is strong enough, the correlations from returning to previously visited sites become insignificant and the results approach the ageing CTRW results. With small bias or without bias, the ageing effects disappear and a change in the exponent compared to the case of a completely annealed landscape can be found, reflecting the build-up of correlations in the quenched landscape. KW - first passage KW - random walks KW - anomalous diffusion Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8113/48/28/285001 SN - 1751-8113 SN - 1751-8121 VL - 48 IS - 28 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Palyulin, Vladimir V. A1 - Metzler, Ralf T1 - Speeding up the first-passage for subdiffusion by introducing a finite potential barrier JF - Journal of physics : A, Mathematical and theoretical N2 - We show that for a subdiffusive continuous time random walk with scale-free waiting time distribution the first-passage dynamics on a finite interval can be optimized by introduction of a piecewise linear potential barrier. Analytical results for the survival probability and first-passage density based on the fractional Fokker-Planck equation are shown to agree well with Monte Carlo simulations results. As an application we discuss an improved design for efficient translocation of gradient copolymers compared to homopolymer translocation in a quasi-equilibrium approximation. KW - first passage KW - anomalous diffusion KW - potential landscape KW - polymer translocation Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8113/47/3/032002 SN - 1751-8113 SN - 1751-8121 VL - 47 IS - 3 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER -