Brownian motion in periodic potentials in the low-friction-limit; nonlinear response to an external force

Abstract

The Brownian motion of particles in a periodic potential in response to a constant external force is investigated in the low-friction-limit. By introducing an energy and a space variable and by making a proper self consistent ansatz, the Fokker-Planck equation is solved in the stationary state for small friction constants. We found out that, for fixed force to friction ratios, the mobility times the friction constant is a linear function of the square root of the friction constant if the damping is small enough. Explicit results for this linear function are presented for a cosine potential and compared to previous results.