Trajectory approach to two-state kinetics of single particles on sculpted energy landscapes

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Jul 31;103(5):050603. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.050603. Epub 2009 Jul 31.

Abstract

We study the trajectories of a single colloidal particle as it hops between two energy wells which are sculpted using optical traps. Whereas the dynamical behaviors of such systems are often treated by master-equation methods that focus on particles as actors, we analyze them instead using a trajectory-based variational method called maximum caliber (MaxCal). We show that the MaxCal strategy accurately predicts the full dynamics that we observe in the experiments: From the observed averages, it predicts second and third moments and covariances, with no free parameters. The covariances are the dynamical equivalents of Maxwell-like equilibrium reciprocal relations and Onsager-like dynamical relations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Colloids / chemistry*
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Colloids