Brownian motion is a ubiquitous physical phenomenon across the sciences. After its discovery by Brown and intensive study since the first half of the 20th century, many different aspects of Brownian motion and stochastic processes in general have been addressed in Statistical Physics. In particular, there now exist a very large range of applications of stochastic processes in various disciplines. Here, we highlight some of the advances in stochastic processes prompted by novel experimental methods such as superresolution microscopy. Here we provide a summary of some of the recent developments highlighting both the experimental findings and theoretical frameworks.
A class of algorithms in discrete space and continuous time for Brownian first passage time estimation is considered. A simple algorithm is derived that yields exact mean first passage times (MFPT) for linear potentials in one dimension, regardless of the lattice spacing. When applied to nonlinear potentials and/or higher spatial dimensions, numerical evidence suggests that this algorithm yields MFPT estimates that either outperform or rival Langevin-based (discrete time, continuous space) estimates.
Fractional Brownian motion is a generalised Gaussian diffusive process that is found to describe numerous stochastic phenomena in physics and biology. Here we introduce a multi-dimensional fractional Brownian motion (FBM) defined as a superposition of conventional FBM for each coordinate in analogy to multi-dimensional Brownian motion, and study its first passage properties. Starting from the well-established first passage time statistics of one-dimensional FBM and the associated approximation schemes, we explore the first passage time behaviour of multi-dimensional FBM and compare these resul…
We study the survival probability and the corresponding first passage time density of fractional Brownian motion confined to a two-dimensional open wedge domain with absorbing boundaries. By analytical arguments and numerical simulation we show that in the long time limit the first passage time density scales as t**{-1+pi*(2H-2)/(2*Theta)} in terms of the Hurst exponent H and the wedge angle Theta. We discuss this scaling behaviour in connection with the reaction kinetics of FBM particles in a one-dimensional domain.
In this paper we present a computation of the mean first-passage times both for a random walk in a discrete bounded lattice, between a starting site and a target site, and for a Brownian motion in a bounded domain, where the target is a sphere. In both cases, we also discuss the case of two targets, including splitting probabilities, and conditional mean first-passage times. In addition, we study the higher-order moments and the full distribution of the first-passage time. These results significantly extend our earlier contribution [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 260601].
The area swept out under a one-dimensional Brownian motion till its first-passage time is analysed using a backward Fokker-Planck technique. We obtain an exact expression of the area distribution for the zero drift case, and provide various asymptotic results for the non-zero drift case, emphasising the critical nature of the behaviour in the limit of vanishing drift. The results offer important insights into the asymptotic behaviour of the area-perimeter generating functions in a class of discrete polygons. We also provide a succinct derivation for the distribution of the maximum displacement…
We use a first-passage time approach to study the statistics of the trapping times induced by persistent motion of active particles colliding with flat boundaries. The angular first-passage time distribution and mean first-passage time is calculated exactly for active Brownian and run-and-tumble particles and the results are compared. Theoretical predictions are in excellent agreement with Langevin simulations. Our results shed further light onto how active particles with different dynamics may be equivalent in the bulk, yet behave differently near boundaries or obstacles.
We derive the moments of the first passage time for Brownian motion conditioned by either the maximum value or the area swept out by the motion. These quantities are the natural counterparts to the moments of the maximum value and area of Brownian excursions of fixed duration, which we also derive for completeness within the same mathematical framework. Various applications are indicated.
We investigate the mean first passage time of an active Brownian particle in one dimension using numerical simulations. The activity in one dimension is modeled as a two state model; the particle moves with a constant propulsion strength but its orientation switches from one state to other as in a random telegraphic process. We study the influence of a finite resetting rate $r$ on the mean first passage time to a fixed target of a single free Active Brownian Particle and map this result using an effective diffusion process. As in the case of a passive Brownian particle, we can find an optimal …
An exact expression for the distribution of the area swept out by a drifted Brownian motion till its first-passage time is derived. A study of the asymptotic behaviour confirms earlier conjectures and clarifies their range of validity. The analysis also leads to a simple closed-form solution for the moments of the Airy distribution.
We present the analysis of the first passage time problem on a finite interval for the generalized Wiener process that is driven by Lévy stable noises. The complexity of the first passage time statistics (mean first passage time, cumulative first passage time distribution) is elucidated together with a discussion of the proper setup of corresponding boundary conditions that correctly yield the statistics of first passages for these non-Gaussian noises. The validity of the method is tested numerically and compared against analytical formulae when the stability index $α$ approaches 2, recovering…
We provide an analytic solution to the first-passage time (FPT) problem of a piecewise-smooth stochastic model, namely Brownian motion with dry friction, using two different but closely related approaches which are based on eigenfunction decompositions on the one hand and on the backward Kolmogorov equation on the other. For the simple case containing only dry friction, a phase transition phenomenon in the spectrum is found which relates to the position of the exit point, and which affects the tail of the FPT distribution. For the model containing as well a driving force and viscous friction t…
We derive a functional equation for the mean first-passage time (MFPT) of a generic self-similar Markovian continuous process to a target in a one-dimensional domain and obtain its exact solution. We show that the obtained expression of the MFPT for continuous processes is actually different from the large system size limit of the MFPT for discrete jump processes allowing leapovers. In the case considered here, the asymptotic MFPT admits non-vanishing corrections, which we call residual MFPT. The case of L/'evy flights with diverging variance of jump lengths is investigated in detail, in parti…
We study experimentally and theoretically the optimal mean time needed by a free diffusing Brownian particle to reach a target at a distance L from an initial position in the presence of resetting. Both the initial position and the resetting position are Gaussian distributed with width $σ$. We derived and tested two resetting protocols, one with a periodic and one with random (Poissonian) resetting times. We computed and measured the full first-passage probability distribution that displays spectacular spikes immediately after each resetting time for close targets. We study the optimal mean fi…
We study the statistical properties of first-passage time functionals of a one dimensional Brownian motion in the presence of stochastic resetting. A first-passage functional is defined as $V=\int_0^{t_f} Z[x(τ)]$ where $t_f$ is the first-passage time of a reset Brownian process $x(τ)$, i.e., the first time the process crosses zero. In here, the particle is reset to $x_R>0$ at a constant rate $r$ starting from $x_0>0$ and we focus on the following functionals: (i) local time $T_{loc} = \int _0^{t_f}d τ~ δ(x-x_R)$, (ii) residence time $T_{res} = \int _0^{t_f} d τ~θ(x-x_R)$, and (iii) functional…
Non-Gaussian shapes, despite a linear form of the mean-squared displacement, have been observed for the displacement distribution in a large range of diffusive systems. Stochastic models for such "Brownian yet non-Gaussian" diffusion will be introduced and discussed. Systems with non-Gaussian, anomalous diffusion will also be addressed.
We study experimentally, numerically and theoretically the optimal mean time needed by a Brownian particle, freely diffusing either in one or two dimensions, to reach, within a tolerance radius $R_{\text tol}$, a target at a distance $L$ from an initial position in the presence of resetting. The reset position is Gaussian distributed with width $σ$. We derived and tested two resetting protocols, one with a periodic and one with random (Poissonian) resetting times. We computed and measured the full first-passage probability distribution that displays spectacular spikes immediately after each re…
We derive the first-passage-time statistics of a Brownian motion driven by an exponential time-dependent drift up to a threshold. This process corresponds to the signal integration in a simple neuronal model supplemented with an adaptation-like current and reaching the threshold for the first time represents the condition for declaring a spike. Based on the backward Fokker-Planck formulation, we consider the survival probability of this process in a domain restricted by an absorbent boundary. The solution is given as an expansion in terms of the intensity of the time-dependent drift, which res…
Systems where resource availability approaches a critical threshold are common to many engineering and scientific applications and often necessitate the estimation of first passage time statistics of a Brownian motion (Bm) driven by time-dependent drift and diffusion coefficients. Modeling such systems requires solving the associated Fokker-Planck equation subject to an absorbing barrier. Transitional probabilities are derived via the method of images, whose applicability to time dependent problems is shown to be limited to state-independent drift and diffusion coefficients that only depend on…
We survey recent results on first-passage processes in unbounded cones and their applications to ordering of particles undergoing Brownian motion in one dimension. We first discuss the survival probability S(t) that a diffusing particle, in arbitrary spatial dimension, remains inside a conical domain up to time t. In general, this quantity decays algebraically S ~ t^{-beta} in the long-time limit. The exponent beta depends on the opening angle of the cone and the spatial dimension, and it is root of a transcendental equation involving the associated Legendre functions. The exponent becomes a f…
In one-dimensional systems, the dynamics of a Brownian particle are governed by the force derived from a potential as well as by diffusion properties. In this work, we obtain the first-passage-time statistics of a Brownian particle driven by an arbitrary potential with an exponential temporally decaying superimposed field up to a prescribed threshold. The general system analyzed here describes the sub-threshold signal integration of integrate-and-fire neuron models, of any kind, supplemented by an adaptation-like current, whereas the first-passage-time corresponds to the declaration of a spike…
We study theoretically, experimentally and numerically the probability distribution $F(t_f|x_0,L)$ of the first passage times $t_f$ needed by a freely diffusing Brownian particle to reach a target at a distance $L$ from the initial position $x_0$, taken from a normalized distribution $(1/σ)\, g(x_0/σ)$ of finite width $σ$. We show the existence of a critical value $b_c$ of the parameter $b=L/σ$, which determines the shape of $F(t_f|x_0,L)$. For $b>b_c$ the distribution $F(t_f|x_0,L)$ has a maximum and a minimum whereas for $b<b_c$ it is a monotonically decreasing function of $t_f$. This dynami…
The paper addresses Brownian motion in the logarithmic potential with time-dependent strength, $U(x,t) = g(t) \log(x)$, subject to the absorbing boundary at the origin of coordinates. Such model can represent kinetics of diffusion-controlled reactions of charged molecules or escape of Brownian particles over a time-dependent entropic barrier at the end of a biological pore. We present a simple asymptotic theory which yields the long-time behavior of both the survival probability (first-passage properties) and the moments of the particle position (dynamics). The asymptotic survival probability,…
In this paper, we investigate a Brownian motion (BM) with purely time dependent drift and difusion by suggesting and examining several Brownian functionals which characterize the lifetime and reactivity of such stochastic processes. We introduce several probability distribution functions (PDFs) associated with such time dependent BMs. For instance, for a BM with initial starting point $x_0$, we derive analytical expressions for : (i) the PDF $P(t_f|x_0)$ of the first passage time $t_f$ which specify the lifetime of such stochastic process, (ii) the PDF $P(A|x_0)$ of the area A till the first p…
We study the extremal properties of a stochastic process $x_t$ defined by a Langevin equation $\dot{x}_t=\sqrt{2 D_0 V(B_t)}\,ξ_t$, where $ξ_t$ is a Gaussian white noise with zero mean, $D_0$ is a constant scale factor, and $V(B_t)$ is a stochastic "diffusivity" (noise strength), which itself is a functional of independent Brownian motion $B_t$. We derive exact, compact expressions for the probability density functions (PDFs) of the first passage time (FPT) $t$ from a fixed location $x_0$ to the origin for three different realisations of the stochastic diffusivity: a cut-off case $V(B_t) =Θ(B_…
Active Brownian Dynamics in Channels: First-Passage and Spatiotemporal Properties via Siegmund Duality
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme（马克斯·普朗克复杂系统物理研究所）；Center for Systems Biology Dresden（德累斯顿系统生物学中心）；Cluster of Excellence, Physics of Life, TU Dresden（德累斯顿工业大学生命物理卓越集群）
Be $X_t$ a random process starting at $x \in [0,1]$ with absorbing boundary conditions at both ends of the interval. Denote $P_1(x)$ the probability to first exit at the upper boundary. For Brownian motion, $P_1(x)=x$, equivalent to $P_1'(x)=1$. For fractional Brownian motion with Hurst exponent $H$, we establish that $P_1'(x) = {\cal N} [x(1-x)]^{\frac1H -2} e^{ε{\cal F}(x)+ {\cal O}(ε^2)}$, where $ε=H-\frac12$. The function ${\cal F}(x)$ is analytic, and well approximated by its Taylor expansion, ${\cal F}(x)\simeq 16 (C-1) (x-1/2)^2 +{\cal O}(x-1/2)^4$, where $C= 0.915...$ is the Catalan-co…
We calculate analytically the probability density $P(t_m)$ of the time $t_m$ at which a continuous-time Brownian motion (with and without drift) attains its maximum before passing through the origin for the first time. We also compute the joint probability density $P(M,t_m)$ of the maximum $M$ and $t_m$. In the driftless case, we find that $P(t_m)$ has power-law tails: $P(t_m)\sim t_m^{-3/2}$ for large $t_m$ and $P(t_m)\sim t_m^{-1/2}$ for small $t_m$. In presence of a drift towards the origin, $P(t_m)$ decays exponentially for large $t_m$. The results from numerical simulations are in excelle…
We consider an anisotropic needle-like Brownian particle with nematic symmetry confined in a $2D$ domain. For this system, the coupling of translational and rotational diffusion makes the process ${\bf x} (t)$ of the positions of the particle non Markovian. Using scaling arguments, a Gaussian approximation and numerical methods, we determine the mean first passage time $\langle\mathbf{T}\rangle$ of the particle to a target of radius $a$ and show in particular that $\langle\mathbf{T}\rangle \sim a^{-1/2}$ for $a\to 0$, in contrast with the classical logarithmic divergence obtained in the case o…
A rapidly increasing number of systems is identified in which the stochastic motion of tracer particles follows the Brownian law $\langle\mathbf{r}^2(t) \rangle\simeq Dt$ 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…
We study stationary fluctuations in two models involving $N$ Brownian particles undergoing stochastic resetting to the origin in 1d. We start with the basic reset model where the particles reset independently (model A). Then we introduce nonlocal interparticle correlations by postulating that only the particle farthest from the origin is reset (model B). At long times both models approach nonequilibrium steady states. In the limit of $N\to \infty$, the steady-state particle density in model A has an infinite support, whereas in model B it has a compact support. A finite system radius, which sc…
We study the survival probability and the first-passage time distribution for a Brownian motion in a planar wedge with infinite absorbing edges. We generalize existing results obtained for wedge angles of the form $π/n$ with $n$ a positive integer to arbitrary angles, which in particular cover the case of obtuse angles. We give explicit and simple expressions of the survival probability and the first-passage time distribution in which the difference between an arbitrary angle and a submultiple of $π$ is contained in three additional terms. As an application, we obtain the short time developmen…
Quasi-two-dimensional dispersions of Brownian particles with competitive interactions: Dynamical clustering, non-Gaussianity and hydrodynamic correlations
Technische Universität Berlin（柏林工业大学）；Forschungszentrum Jülich（于利希研究中心）；Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf（杜塞尔多夫海因里希·海涅大学）
We study the first passage statistics to adsorbing boundaries of a Brownian motion in bounded two-dimensional domains of different shapes and configurations of the adsorbing and reflecting boundaries. From extensive numerical analysis we obtain the probability P(ω) distribution of the random variable ω=τ_1/(τ_1+τ_2), which is a measure for how similar the first passage times τ_1 and τ_2 are of two independent realisations of a Brownian walk starting at the same location. We construct a chart for each domain, determining whether P(ω) represents a unimodal, bell-shaped form, or a bimodal, M-shap…
Three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations provide a striking confirmation to a recent theoretical prediction: the Brownian non-Gaussian diffusion of critical self-avoiding walks. Although the mean square displacement of the polymer center of mass grows linearly with time (Brownian behavior), the initial probability density function is strongly non-Gaussian and crosses over to Gaussianity only at large time. Full agreement between theory and simulations is achieved without the employment of fitting parameters. We discuss simulation techniques potentially capable of addressing the study of anoma…
We obtain the first passage time density for a Lévy flight random process from a subordination scheme. By this method, we infer the asymptotic behavior directly from the Brownian solution and the Sparre Andersen theorem, avoiding explicit reference to the fractional diffusion equation. Our results corroborate recent findings for Markovian Lévy flights and generalize to broad waiting times.
We study the first-passage time, the distribution of the maximum, and the absorption probability of fractional Brownian motion of Hurst parameter $H$ with both a linear and a non-linear drift. The latter appears naturally when applying non-linear variable transformations. Via a perturbative expansion in $ε= H-1/2$, we give the first-order corrections to the classical result for Brownian motion analytically. Using a recently introduced adaptive bisection algorithm, which is much more efficient than the standard Davies-Harte algorithm, we test our predictions for the first-passage time on grids …
We propose a minimal model of \emph{locally-activated diffusion}, in which the diffusion coefficient of a one-dimensional Brownian particle is modified in a prescribed way --- either increased or decreased --- upon each crossing of the origin. Such a local mobility decrease arises in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques due to diffusing macrophage cells accumulating lipid particles. We show that spatially localized mobility perturbations have remarkable consequences on diffusion at all scales, such as the emergence of a non-Gaussian multi-peaked probability distribution and a dynamical tra…
We present a novel computational method of first-passage times between a starting site and a target site of regular bounded lattices. We derive accurate expressions for all the moments of this first-passage time, validated by numerical simulations. Their range of validity is discussed. We also consider the case of a starting site and two targets. In addition, we present the extension to continuous Brownian motion. These results are of great relevance to any system involving diffusion in confined media.
We study the distribution of first-passage functionals ${\cal A}= \int_0^{t_f} x^n(t)\, dt$, where $x(t)$ is a Brownian motion (with or without drift) with diffusion constant $D$, starting at $x_0>0$, and $t_f$ is the first-passage time to the origin. In the driftless case, we compute exactly, for all $n>-2$, the probability density $P_n(A|x_0)=\text{Prob}.(\mathcal{A}=A)$. This probability density has an essential singular tail as $A\to 0$ and a power-law tail $\sim A^{-(n+3)/(n+2)}$ as $A\to \infty$. The former is reproduced by the optimal fluctuation method (OFM), which also predicts the op…
We calculate, numerically, the residence times (and their distribution) of a Brownian particle in a two-well system under the action of a periodic, saw-tooth type, external field. We define hysteresis in the system. The hysteresis loop area is shown to be a good measure of synchronization of passages from one well to the other. We establish connection between this stochastic synchronization and stochastic resonance in the system.
We investigate DNA breathing dynamics by suggesting and examining several different Brownian functionals associated with bubble lifetime and reactivity. Bubble dynamics is described as an overdamped random walk in the number of broken base pairs. The walk takes place on the Poland-Scheraga free energy landscape. We suggest several probability distribution functions that characterize the breathing process, and adopt the recently studied backward Fokker-Planck method and the path decomposition method as elegant and flexible tools for deriving these distributions. In particular, for a bubble of a…
We present an algorithm to efficiently sample first-passage times for fractional Brownian motion. To increase the resolution, an initial coarse lattice is successively refined close to the target, by adding exactly sampled midpoints, where the probability that they reach the target is non-negligible. Compared to a path of $N$ equally spaced points, the algorithm achieves the same numerical accuracy $N_{\rm eff}$, while sampling only a small fraction of all points. Though this induces a statistical error, the latter is bounded for each bridge, allowing us to bound the total error rate by a numb…
We study the first passage time processes of anomalous diffusion on self similar curves in two dimensions. The scaling properties of the mean square displacement and mean first passage time of the ballistic motion, fractional Brownian motion and subordinated walk on different fractal curves (loop erased random walk, harmonic explorer and percolation front) are derived. We also define natural parametrized subordinated Schramm Loewner evolution (NS-SLE) as a mathematical tool that can model diffusion on fractal curves. The scaling properties of the mean square displacement and mean first passage…
We study a Brownian motor driven by a colored non Gaussian noise source with a $q$-dependent probability distribution, where $q$ is a parameter indicating the departure from Gaussianity. For $q=1$ the noise is Gaussian (Ornstein--Uhlenbeck), while, for $q>1$, the probability distribution falls like a power law. In the latter case, we find a marked enhancement of both the current and the efficiency of the Brownian motor in the overdamped regime. We also analyze the case with inertia and show that, again for $q > 1$, a remarkable increase of the ratchet's mass separation capability is obtained.
