Study Links Particle Physics to Active Matter Behavior
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Martin Johnsrud and Ramin Golestanian, from the department Living Matter Physics (LMP) at MPI-DS, have developed a theoretical description to rigorously characterize fluctuations in systems, addressing a limitation of traditional physics when applied to energy-consuming active matter. Their approach extends existing stochastic field theories—commonly used to characterize complex system dynamics—by employing techniques similar to those used in the study of fundamental properties of elementary particles. This new mathematical framework enables predictions about systems out of equilibrium and defines measurable quantities to characterize nonequilibrium dynamics, ultimately facilitating the experimental design of both living and artificial active systems.
Traditional Physics Limitations in Assessing Living Matter Traditional physics struggles to assess living matter because these energy-consuming systems exhibit behavior influenced by the “arrow of time,” violating the laws of equilibrium thermodynamics. Unlike macroscopic physical systems where microscopic fluctuations are typically averaged out, these fluctuations dramatically influence the dynamics of living matter. Analyzing these fluctuations with traditional statistical mechanics proves mathematically challenging, hindering accurate predictions about system behavior. A new theoretical description developed by Martin Johnsrud and Ramin Golestanian offers a way to rigorously characterize fluctuations in these complex systems. This framework extends existing stochastic field theories, employing techniques similar to those used in studying elementary particles. The researchers aimed to bridge the gap between averaging out fluctuations and comprehensively studying individual particles – a difficult task even for moderately sized systems. This new formalism allows for the definition of measurable quantities, enabling predictions about systems out of equilibrium, such as active matter. Importantly, the ability to predict behavior facilitates experimental design, both for understanding living matter and for creating artificial active systems. The work addresses a limitation of traditional physics by providing tools to analyze fluctuations in these uniquely dynamic systems.
New Mathematical Tools for Characterizing Fluctuations New mathematical tools are being used to characterize fluctuations in living matter, a feat previously difficult due to the influence of the “arrow of time” on these energy-consuming systems. Traditional physics struggles with these nonequilibrium systems, which violate the laws of equilibrium thermodynamics.
Researchers Martin Johnsrud and Ramin Golestanian developed a theoretical description to rigorously characterize the role of fluctuations, extending existing field theories to make predictions about active matter. These newly developed mathematical tools address a gap between averaging out microscopic fluctuations (common in macroscopic physical systems) and comprehensively studying each individual degree of freedom – a cumbersome task even for moderate-sized systems. The approach utilizes techniques similar to those used in studying fundamental properties of elementary particles to illuminate the nonequilibrium features of fluctuations specifically within living systems. This formalism allows for the definition of measurable quantities, offering a pathway to characterize the nonequilibrium dynamics of living matter. Importantly, this capability extends beyond simply understanding existing systems; it also enables the experimental design of artificial active systems, suggesting a practical application of these new mathematical tools in synthetic biology and materials science. It is mathematically challenging to predict the behavior of such systems if using traditional tools from statistical mechanics.Martin Johnsrud Source: https://www.ds.mpg.de/4106972/251127_fluctuations Tags: Quantum News As the Official Quantum Dog (or hound) by role is to dig out the latest nuggets of quantum goodness. There is so much happening right now in the field of technology, whether AI or the march of robots. But Quantum occupies a special space. Quite literally a special space. A Hilbert space infact, haha! Here I try to provide some of the news that might be considered breaking news in the Quantum Computing space. Latest Posts by Quantum News: NMR Spectroscopy Advances with Quantum Hardware from IBM & IonQ December 18, 2025 Malaysia Urges Telecoms Shift Amid Quantum & Satellite Tech Rise December 18, 2025 Zapata Quantum Restructures $10M+ Debt, Converts to Equity December 18, 2025