Charged Brownian particles: Kramers and Smoluchowski equations and the hydrothermodynamical picture

R.E. Lagos and Tania P. Simões

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2011, vol. 390, issue 9, 1591-1601

Abstract: We consider a charged Brownian gas under the influence of external and non-uniform electric, magnetic and mechanical fields, immersed in a non-uniform bath temperature. With the collision time as an expansion parameter, we study the solution to the associated Kramers equation, including a linear reactive term. To the first order we obtain the asymptotic (overdamped) regime, governed by transport equations, namely: for the particle density, a Smoluchowski-reactive like equation; for the particle’s momentum density, a generalized Ohm’s-like equation; and for the particle’s energy density, a Maxwell–Cattaneo-like equation. Defining a nonequilibrium temperature as the mean kinetic energy density, and introducing Boltzmann’s entropy density via the one particle distribution function, we present a complete thermohydrodynamical picture for a charged Brownian gas. We probe the validity of the local equilibrium approximation, Onsager relations, variational principles associated to the entropy production, and apply our results to: carrier transport in semiconductors, hot carriers and Brownian motors. Finally, we outline a method to incorporate non-linear reactive kinetics and a mean field approach to interacting Brownian particles.

Keywords: Brownian motion; Kramers equation; Smoluchowski equation; Dissipative dynamics; Evolution of nonequilibrium systems; Brownian motors; Carrier transport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:390:y:2011:i:9:p:1591-1601

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2010.12.032

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