Force generation by granular chains moving randomly on periodic ratchet plates.

A variation of the Brownian ratchet mechanism for the force generated by the combination of the random motion and the ratchet structure is proposed and simulated with granular chains moving randomly on periodic ratchet plates. The present mechanism differs from the flashing ratchet model of the kinesin-microtubule molecular motor. When the bead chain bounces against the periodic ratchet, the chain as a whole will gain an impulse in the direction of the long side (the side with smaller slope). The observed behaviors of the simulating system, including (i) the force-velocity relation, (ii) the stall force as a function of the number of chains, (iii) the increase of velocity with the excitation, and (iv) the appearance of steps at low velocity and its distribution function, are similar to the corresponding ones of the kinesin-microtubule system.