ISSN:
1572-9613
Keywords:
Brownian motion
;
fluctuating hydrodynamics
;
Langevin equation
;
fluctuation-dissipation theorem
;
autocorrelation functions
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
Abstract The Langevin equation describing Brownian motion is considered as a contraction from the more fundamental, but still phenomenological, description of an incompressible fluid governed by fluctuating hydrodynamics in which a Brownian particle with stick boundary condition is immersed. First, the derivation of fluctuating hydrodynamics is reconsidered to clarify certain ambiguities as to the treatment of boundaries. Subsequently the contraction is carried out. Since Brownian particles of arbitrary shape are considered, rotations and translations are in general coupled. The symmetry of the 6×6 friction tensorγ ij (t) is proved for arbitrary shape without appeal to microscopic arguments. This symmetry is then used to prove that the fluctuation-dissipation theorem on the contracted level (nonwhite noise in general) follows from the corresponding statement on the level of fluctuating hydrodynamics (white noise). The condition under which the contracted description reduces to the classical Langevin equation is given, and the connection between our theory and related work is discussed.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01030307
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