Scientific report

Noise in Non-Equilibrium Systems: From Physics to Biology
Dresden, April 11 - 14, 2011

This workshop displayed a broad panorama of the state of the art of Non-Equilibrium Statistical Physics. The topics presented ranged from the foundations of thermodynamics of small systems and the impact of quantum mechanics on various transport phenomena over different features and variants of Brownian motion to specific aspects of biophysical problems. A unifying theme of the workshop has been the ubiquity of noise in small systems and its impact on transport properties.

The breadth of this field manifested itself in the wide variety of topics of the talks a selection of which is given in the following.
Fundamental Problems --- Wolfgang Schleich (Ulm) discussed in his presentation non-classical aspects of the marginal position distribution of a free quantum particle. Different ways to control coherent electron dynamics were presented and analyzed by Gloria Platero (Madrid). An analysis of single realizations of Langevin-type dynamics describing for example the random motion of single colloidal particles in terms of thermodynamic notions was proposed by Udo Seifert (Stuttgart) and an analysis of the efficiency of nano-engines was introduced by Christian van den Broeck (Hasselt).
Transport in physical systems --- The talks by Miguel Rubí (Barcelona) and Thomas Franosch (Erlangen) dealt with different aspects of diffusional transport in confined geometries. José Mateos (Mexico City) analyzed an optical ratchet as a means of selectively transporting dielectric particles of different size in water. The influence of internal degrees of freedom of a ratchet was analyzed by Thomas Dittrich (Bogotá) in view of applications to molecular motors in cells. Steps to an experimental realization of an artificial molecular motor were discussed by Heiner Linke (Lund). Further aspects of driven Brownian motion in nonlinear potentials were discussed in the talks by Jerzy Luczka (Katowice) and Manuel Morillo-Buzón (Sevilla). Igor Sokolov (Berlin) and Igor Goychuk (Augsburg) reported on anomalous transport and its modeling. Problems related to the transport of heat in nanoscopic systems were the subject of the talks by Baowen Li (Singapore), Giuliano Benenti (Como), Abraham Nitzan (Tel Aviv) and Keiji Saito (Tokyo).
Transport in biological systems --- The dynamics of biological networks was the topic of the talk by Sophia Yaliraki (London) and gave the motivation for the investigation of energy harvesting presented by Thomas Wellens (Freiburg). The transport of neurofilaments in nerve axons as a regulating mechanism of the axon morphology was the topic of the colloquium presented by Peter Jung (Athens). Hans Frauenfelder (Los Alamos) reported on the glass-like dynamics of the proteins.

In two long evening poster sessions mainly young scientists presented their results to an highly interested audience.

Discussions were lively not only during these poster sessions but also after, and sometimes during, the talks, the coffee, lunch and dinner breaks. It was this intense interaction of scientists from different fields with the common background of Statistical Mechanics that made this workshop a vivid market of scientific exchange and a true source of inspiration.

For further information please e-mail to: nines11@pks.mpg.de