Active noise-driven particles under space-dependent friction in one dimension

Abstract

We study a Langevin equation describing the stochastic motion of a particle in one dimension with coordinate x, which is simultaneously exposed to a space-dependent friction coefficient γ(x), a confining potential U(x) and nonequilibrium (i.e., active) noise. Specifically, we consider frictions γ(x)=γ_{0}+γ_{1}|x|^{p} and potentials U(x)∝|x|^{n} with exponents p=1,2 and n=0,1,2. We provide analytical and numerical results for the particle dynamics for short times and the stationary probability density functions (PDFs) for long times. The short-time behavior displays diffusive and ballistic regimes while the stationary PDFs display unique characteristic features depending on the exponent values (p,n). The PDFs interpolate between Laplacian, Gaussian, and bimodal distributions, whereby a change between these different behaviors can be achieved by a tuning of the friction strengths ratio γ_{0}/γ_{1}. Our model is relevant for molecular motors moving on a one-dimensional track and can also be realized for confined self-propelled colloidal particles.