Mesoscale engines by nonlinear friction.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 17309318.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
A new approach to build mesoscopic-size engines that move translationally or rotationally and can perform useful functions such as the pulling of a cargo is presented. The approach is based on the transformation of internal vibrations of the moving object into directed motion, making use of the nonlinear properties of friction. This can be achieved by superimposing time-dependent external fields that break the spatial symmetry. The motion can be controlled and optimized by adjusting the system parameters.