Stochastic resetting in a nonequilibrium environment.

Abstract

This study examines the dynamics of a tracer particle diffusing in a nonequilibrium medium under stochastic resetting. The nonequilibrium state is induced by harmonic coupling between the tracer and bath particles, generating memory effects with an exponential decay in time. We explore the tracer's behavior under a Poissonian resetting protocol, where resetting does not disturb the bath environment, with a focus on key dynamical behavior and first-passage properties, both in the presence and absence of an external force. The interplay between coupling strength and diffusivity of bath particles significantly impacts both the tracer's relaxation dynamics and search time, with external forces further modulating these effects. Our analysis identifies distinct hot and cold bath particles based on their diffusivities, revealing that coupling to a hot particle facilitates the searching process, whereas coupling to a cold particle hinders it. Using a combination of numerical simulations and analytical methods, this study provides a comprehensive framework for understanding resetting mechanisms in non-Markovian systems, with potential applications to complex environments such as active and viscoelastic media, where memory-driven dynamics and nonequilibrium interactions are significant.