Nonlinear friction in underdamped anharmonic stochastic oscillators.

Abstract

Non-equilibrium stationary states of overdamped anharmonic stochastic oscillators driven by Lévy noise are typically multimodal. The very same situation is recorded for an underdamped Lévy noise-driven motion in single-well potentials with linear friction. Within the current article, we relax the assumption that the friction experienced by a particle is linear. Using computer simulations, we study underdamped motions in single-well potentials in the regime of nonlinear friction. We demonstrate that it is relatively easy to observe multimodality in the velocity distribution as it is determined by the friction itself and it is the same as the multimodality in the overdamped case with the analogous deterministic force. Contrary to the velocity marginal density, it is more difficult to induce multimodality in the position. Nevertheless, for a fine-tuned nonlinear friction, the spatial multimodality can be recorded.