Non-isothermal Brownian motion

Building on our pioneering work on hot Brownian motion, we aim at a comprehensive theoretical characterization of non-isothermal Brownian motion in terms of effective transport parameters and, in particular, effective temperatures. The Brownian scale separation allows for systematic analytical developments based on a generalized theory of fluctuating hydrodynamics that presumes local equilibrium on the molecular scale but accounts for non-isothermal and non-Markovian conditions on the Brownian scale, thereby providing a new paradigm for a manageable non-stationary system far from equilibrium. On this basis, we aim to establish the conceptual foundations for non-isothermal generalizations of universal fluctuation relations and for numerous innovative applications ranging from photothermal single-particle trapping and tracking techniques to nanomachines involving thermally activated macromolecular components.

DFG Programme Research Grants