Odd Diffusivity of Chiral Random Motion

C Hargus and JM Epstein and KK Mandadapu, PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 127, 178001 (2021).

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.178001

Diffusive transport is characterized by a diffusivity tensor which may, in general, contain both a symmetric and an antisymmetric component. Although the latter is often neglected, we derive Green-Kubo relations showing it to be a general characteristic of random motion breaking time-reversal and parity symmetries, as encountered in chiral active matter. In analogy with the odd viscosity appearing in chiral active fluids, we term this component the odd diffusivity. We show how odd diffusivity emerges in a chiral random walk model, and demonstrate the applicability of the Green-Kubo relations through molecular dynamics simulations of a passive tracer particle diffusing in a chiral active bath.

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