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Peter Hanggi

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Hanggi.

70 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

The role of conformational diffusion in ion channel gating

We consider an exactly tractable model of the Kramers type for the voltage-dependent gating dynamics of single ion channels. It is assumed that the gating dynamics is caused by the thermally activated transitions in a bistable potential. Moreover, the closed state of the channel is highly degenerate and embraces the whole manifold of closed substates. Opening of the ion channel is energetically prohibited from most of the closed substates and requires a special conformation where the voltage sensor can move along an activation pathway and trigger the transition into the open conformation. When the corresponding activation barrier towards the channel's opening is removed by the applied voltage, the statistics of non-conducting time intervals become strongly influenced by the conformational diffusion. For the corresponding supra-threshold voltages, our model explains the origin of the power law distribution of the closed time intervals. The exponential-linear dependence of the opening rate on voltage, often used as an experimental fit, is also reproduced by our model.

physics.bio-ph↗

Effect of channel block on the spiking activity of excitable membranes in a stochastic Hodgkin-Huxley model

The influence of intrinsic channel noise on the spontaneous spiking activity of poisoned excitable membrane patches is studied by use of a stochastic generalization of the Hodgkin-Huxley model. Internal noise stemming from the stochastic dynamics of individual ion channels is known to affect the collective properties of the whole ion channel cluster. For example, there exists an optimal size of the membrane patch for which the internal noise alone causes a regular spontaneous generation of action potentials. In addition to varying the size of ion channel clusters, living organisms may adapt the densities of ion channels in order to optimally regulate the spontaneous spiking activity. The influence of channel block on the excitability of a membrane patch of certain size is twofold: First, a variation of ion channel densities primarily yields a change of the conductance level. Second, a down-regulation of working ion channels always increases the channel noise. While the former effect dominates in the case of sodium channel block resulting in a reduced spiking activity, the latter enhances the generation of spontaneous action potentials in the case of a tailored potassium channel blocking. Moreover, by blocking some portion of either potassium or sodium ion channels, it is possible to either increase or to decrease the regularity of the spike train.

q-bio.SC↗

Channel noise and synchronization in excitable membranes

Using a stochastic generalization of the Hodgkin–Huxley model, we consider the influence of intrinsic channel noise on the synchronization between the spiking activity of the excitable membrane and an externally applied periodic signal. For small patches, i.e., when the channel noise dominates the excitable dynamics, we find the phenomenon of intrinsic coherence resonance. In this case, the relatively regular spiking behavior is practically independent of the applied external driving; therefore no synchronization occurs. Synchronization takes place, however, only for sufficiently large ion channel assemblies. The neuronal signal processing is thus likely rooted in the collective properties of optimally large assemblies of ion channels.

physics.bio-ph↗

Statistics of transition times, phase diffusion and synchronization in periodically driven bistable systems

The statistics of transitions between the metastable states of a periodically driven bistable Brownian oscillator are investigated on the basis of a two-state description by means of a master equation with time-dependent rates. The results are compared with extensive numerical simulations of the Langevin equation for a sinusoidal driving force. Very good agreement is achieved both for the counting statistics of the number of transitions and the residence time distribution of the process in either state. The counting statistics corroborate in a consistent way the interpretation of stochastic resonance as a synchronisation phenomenon for a properly defined generalized Rice phase.

physics.data-an↗

Quantum dynamics in strong fluctuating fields

A large number of multifaceted quantum transport processes in molecular systems and physical nanosystems can be treated in terms of quantum relaxation processes which couple to one or several fluctuating environments. A thermal equilibrium environment can conveniently be modelled by a thermal bath of harmonic oscillators. An archetype situation provides a two-state dissipative quantum dynamics, commonly known under the label of a spin-boson dynamics. An interesting and nontrivial physical situation emerges, however, when the quantum dynamics evolves far away from thermal equilibrium. This occurs, for example, when a charge transferring medium possesses nonequilibrium degrees of freedom, or when a strong time-dependent control field is applied externally. Accordingly, certain parameters of underlying quantum subsystem acquire stochastic character. Herein, we review the general theoretical framework which is based on the method of projector operators, yielding the quantum master equations for systems that are exposed to strong external fields. This allows one to investigate on a common basis the influence of nonequilibrium fluctuations and periodic electrical fields on quantum transport processes. Most importantly, such strong fluctuating fields induce a whole variety of nonlinear and nonequilibrium phenomena. A characteristic feature of such dynamics is the absence of thermal (quantum) detailed balance.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

Landau-Zener transitions in qubits controlled by electromagnetic fields

We investigate the influence of a dipole interaction with a classical radiation field on a qubit during a continuous change of a control parameter. In particular, we explore the non-adiabatic transitions that occur when the qubit is swept with linear speed through resonances with the time-dependent interaction. Two classical problems come together in this model: the Landau-Zener and the Rabi problem. The probability of Landau-Zener transitions now depends sensitively on the amplitude, the frequency and the phase of the Rabi interaction. The influence of the static phase turns out to be particularly strong, since this parameter controls the time-reversal symmetry of the Hamiltonian. In the limits of large and small frequencies, analytical results obtained within a rotating-wave approximation compare favourably with a numerically exact solution. Some physical realizations of the model are discussed, both in microwave optics and in magnetic systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Fractional diffusion modeling of ion channel gating

An anomalous diffusion model for ion channel gating is put forward. This scheme is able to describe non-exponential, power-law like distributions of residence time intervals in several types of ion channels. Our method presents a generalization of the discrete diffusion model by Millhauser, Salpeter and Oswald [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85, 1503 (1988)] to the case of a continuous, anomalous slow conformational diffusion. The corresponding generalization is derived from a continuous time random walk composed of nearest neighbor jumps which in the scaling limit results in a fractional diffusion equation. The studied model contains three parameters only: the mean residence time, a characteristic time of conformational diffusion, and the index of subdiffusion. A tractable analytical expression for the characteristic function of the residence time distribution is obtained. In the limiting case of normal diffusion, our prior findings [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99, 3552 (2002)] are reproduced. Depending on the chosen parameters, the fractional diffusion model exhibits a very rich behavior of the residence time distribution with different characteristic time-regimes. Moreover, the corresponding autocorrelation function of conductance fluctuations displays nontrivial features. Our theoretical model is in good agreement with experimental data for large conductance potassium ion channels.

physics.bio-ph↗

Stratification of the phase clouds and statistical effects of the non-Markovity in chaotic time series of human gait for healthy people and Parkinson patients

In this work we develop a new method of diagnosing the nervous system diseases and a new approach in studying human gait dynamics with the help of the theory of discrete non-Markov random processes. The stratification of the phase clouds and the statistical non-Markov effects in the time series of the dynamics of human gait are considered. We carried out the comparative analysis of the data of four age groups of healthy people: children (from 3 to 10 year olds), teenagers (from 11 to 14 year oulds), young people (from 21 up to 29 year oulds), elderly persons (from 71 to 77 year olds) and Parkinson patients. The full data set are analyzed with the help of the phase portraits of the four dynamic variables, the power spectra of the initial time correlation function and the memory functions of junior orders, the three first points in the spectra of the statistical non-Markov parameter. The received results allow to define the predisposition of the probationers to deflections in the central nervous system caused by Parkinson's disease. We have found out distinct differencies between the five submitted groups. On this basis we offer a new method of diagnostics and forecasting Parkinson's disease.

physics.med-ph↗

Non-Markov stochastic dynamics of real epidemic process of respiratory infections

The study of social networks and especially of the stochastic dynamics of the diseases spread in human population has recently attracted considerable attention in statistical physics. In this work we present a new statistical method of analyzing the spread of epidemic processes of grippe and acute respiratory track infections (ARTI) by means of the theory of discrete non-Markov stochastic processes. We use the results of our last theory (Phys. Rev. E 65, 046107 (2002)) to study statistical memory effects, long - range correlation and discreteness in real data series, describing the epidemic dynamics of human ARTI infections and grippe. We have carried out the comparative analysis of the data of the two infections (grippe and ARTI) in one of the industrial districts of Kazan, one of the largest cities of Russia. The experimental data are analyzed by the power spectra of the initial time correlation function and the memory functions of junior orders, the phase portraits of the four first dynamic variables, the three first points of the statistical non-Markov parameter and the locally averaged kinetic and relaxation parameters. The received results give an opportunity to provide strict quantitative description of the regular and stochastic components in epidemic dynamics of social networks taking into account their time discreteness and effects of statistical memory. They also allow to reveal the degree of randomness and predictability of the real epidemic process in the specific social network.

nlin.AO↗

Theory of non-Markovian Stochastic Resonance

We consider a two-state model of non-Markovian stochastic resonance (SR) within the framework of the theory of renewal processes. Residence time intervals are assumed to be mutually independent and characterized by some arbitrary non-exponential residence time distributions which are modulated in time by an externally applied signal. Making use of a stochastic path integral approach we obtain general integral equations governing the evolution of conditional probabilities in the presence of an input signal. These novel equations generalize earlier integral renewal equations by Cox and others to the case of driving-induced non-stationarity. On the basis of these new equations a response theory of two state renewal processes is formulated beyond the linear response approximation. Moreover, a general expression for the linear response function is derived. The connection of the developed approach with the phenomenological theory of linear response for manifest non-Markovian SR put forward in [ I. Goychuk and P. Hanggi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 070601 (2003)] is clarified and its range of validity is scrutinized. The novel theory is then applied to SR in symmetric non-Markovian systems and to the class of single ion channels possessing a fractal kinetics.

cond-mat↗

Non-Markovian Stochastic Resonance

The phenomenological linear response theory of non-Markovian Stochastic Resonance (SR) is put forward for stationary two-state renewal processes. In terms of a derivation of a non-Markov regression theorem we evaluate the characteristic SR-quantifiers; i.e. the spectral power amplification (SPA) and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), respectively. In clear contrast to Markovian SR, a characteristic benchmark of genuine non-Markovian SR is its distinctive dependence of the SPA and SNR on small (adiabatic) driving frequencies; particularly, the adiabatic SNR becomes strongly suppressed over its Markovian counterpart. This non-Markovian SR theory is elucidated for a fractal gating dynamics of a potassium ion channel possessing an infinite variance of closed sojourn times.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

Thermal conductance through molecular wires

We consider phononic heat transport through molecular chains connecting two thermal reservoirs. For relatively short molecules at normal temperatures heat conduction is dominated by the harmonic part of the molecular force-field. We develop a general theory for the heat conduction through harmonic chains in 3-dimensions. A Landauer-type expression for the heat conduction is obtained, in agreement with other recent studies. We use this formalism to study the heat conduction properties of alkanes. For relatively short (1-30 carbon atoms) chains the length and temperature dependence of the molecular heat conduction result from the balance of three factors: (i) The molecular frequency spectrum in relation to the frequency cutoff of the thermal reservoirs, (ii) the degree of localization of the molecular normal modes and (iii) the molecule-heat reservoirs coupling. The fact that molecular modes at different frequency regimes have different localization properties gives rise to intricate dependence of the heat conduction on molecular length at different temperatures. For example, the heat conduction increases with molecular length for short molecular chains at low temperatures. Similar considerations apply for isotopically substituted disordered chains. Finally, we compare the heat conduction obtained from this microscopic calculation to that estimated by considering the molecule as a cylinder characterized by a macroscopic heat conduction typical to organic solids. We find that this classical model overestimates the heat conduction of single alkane molecules by about an order of magnitude at room temperature. Implications of the present study to the problem of heating in electrically conducting molecular junctions are pointed out.

physics.chem-ph↗

Driven Tunneling Dynamics: Bloch-Redfield Theory versus Path Integral Approach

In the regime of weak bath coupling and low temperature we demonstrate numerically for the spin-boson dynamics the equivalence between two widely used but seemingly different roads of approximation, namely the path integral approach and the Bloch-Redfield theory. The excellent agreement between these two methods is corroborated by a novel efficient analytical high-frequency approach: it well approximates the decay of quantum coherence via a series of damped coherent oscillations. Moreover, a suitably tuned control field can selectively enhance or suppress quantum coherence.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

Stochastic Resonance in Ion Channels Characterized by Information Theory

We identify a unifying measure for stochastic resonance (SR) in voltage dependent ion channels which comprises periodic (conventional), aperiodic and nonstationary SR. Within a simplest setting, the gating dynamics is governed by two-state conductance fluctuations, which switch at random time points between two values. The corresponding continuous time point process is analyzed by virtue of information theory. In pursuing this goal we evaluate for our dynamics the tau-information, the mutual information and the rate of information gain. As a main result we find an analytical formula for the rate of information gain that solely involves the probability of the two channel states and their noise averaged rates. For small voltage signals it simplifies to a handy expression. Our findings are applied to study SR in a potassium channel. We find that SR occurs only when the closed state is predominantly dwelled. Upon increasing the probability for the open channel state the application of an extra dose of noise monotonically deteriorates the rate of information gain, i.e., no SR behavior occurs.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

Driven Tunneling: Chaos and Decoherence

Chaotic tunneling in a driven double-well system is investigated in absence as well as in the presence of dissipation. As the constitutive mechanism of chaos-assisted tunneling, we focus on the dynamics in the vicinity of three-level crossings in the quasienergy spectrum. The coherent quantum dynamics near the crossing is described satisfactorily by a three-state model. It fails, however, for the corresponding dissipative dynamics, because incoherent transitions due to the interaction with the environment indirectly couple the three states in the crossing to the remaining quasienergy states. The asymptotic state of the driven dissipative quantum dynamics partially resembles the, possibly strange, attractor of the corresponding damped driven classical dynamics, but also exhibits characteristic quantum effects.

cond-mat↗

Coherent and incoherent chaotic tunneling near singlet-doublet crossings

In the spectrum of systems showing chaos-assisted tunneling, three-state crossings are formed when a chaotic singlet intersects a tunnel doublet. We study the dissipative quantum dynamics in the vicinity of such crossings. A harmonically driven double well coupled to a bath serves as a model. Markov and rotating-wave approximations are introduced with respect to the Floquet spectrum of the time-dependent central system. The resulting master equation is integrated numerically. We find various types of transient tunneling, determined by the relation of the level width to the inherent energy scales of the crossing. The decay of coherent tunneling can be significantly retarded or accelerated. Modifications of the quantum asymptotic state by the crossing are also studied. The comparison with a simple three-state model shows that in contrast to the undamped case, the participation of states outside the crossing cannot be neglected in the presence of dissipation.

quant-ph↗