Effect of the wall on the velocity autocorrelation function and long-time tail of Brownian motion in a viscous compressible fluid

Abstract

Brownian motion of a particle situated near a wall bounding the fluid in which it is immersed is affected by the wall. Specifically, it is assumed that a viscous compressible fluid fills a half space bounded by a plane wall, and that the fluid flow satisfies stick boundary conditions at the wall. The fluctuation-dissipation theorem shows that the velocity autocorrelation function of the Brownian particle can be calculated from the frequency-dependent admittance valid locally. The admittance can be found from the linearized Navier-Stokes equations. The t(-3/2) long-time tail of the velocity relaxation function, valid in bulk fluid, is obliterated by the wall and replaced by a t(-5/2) long-time tail of positive amplitude for motions parallel to the wall and by a t(-5/2) long-time tail of negative amplitude for motions perpendicular to the wall. In both cases the amplitude of the t(-5/2) long-time tail turns out to be independent of fluid compressibility and bulk viscosity.