Dynamic pathways to mediate reactions buried in thermal fluctuations. I. Time-dependent normal form theory for multidimensional Langevin equation

Abstract

We present a novel theory which enables us to explore the mechanism of reaction selectivity and robust functions in complex systems persisting under thermal fluctuation. The theory constructs a nonlinear coordinate transformation so that the equation of motion for the new reaction coordinate is independent of the other nonreactive coordinates in the presence of thermal fluctuation. In this article we suppose that reacting systems subject to thermal noise are described by a multidimensional Langevin equation without a priori assumption for the form of potential. The reaction coordinate is composed not only of all the coordinates and velocities associated with the system ͑solute͒ but also of the random force exerted by the environment ͑solvent͒ with friction constants. The sign of the reaction coordinate at any instantaneous moment in the region of a saddle determines the fate of the reaction, i.e., whether the reaction will proceed through to the products or go back to the reactants. By assuming the statistical properties of the random force, one can know a priori a well-defined boundary of the reaction which separates the full position-velocity space in the saddle region into mainly reactive and mainly nonreactive regions even under thermal fluctuation. The analytical expression of the reaction coordinate provides the firm foundation on the mechanism of how and why reaction proceeds in thermal fluctuating environments.

Derivation of the generalized Langevin equation in nonstationary environments

“…3 An example of such statistical property of the random force is the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, where the autocorrelation function of the random force is related to the friction kernel. It was found recently [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] that even though one cannot know an instantaneous value of the random force in advance since the initial condition of the bath is unknown, the statistical property enables us to analytically derive the boundary of the reaction in the state space, that is, a surface on which the system should end up with the reactant and the product with equal probability of one half. Following the pioneering works by Kramers 1 and by Grote and Hynes, 2 great progress [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] in the study of reaction dynamics in condensed phase have been made by using the GLE or the Langevin equation (a memoryless limit of GLE).…”

Nonlinear dynamical effects on reaction rates in thermally fluctuating environments

“…In the framework we developed recently, [64][65][66] we introduced a nonlinear coordinate transformation (q 1 , . .…”

“…The barrier height of saddle 2 from each minimum is 41 and 107, respectively, which that of saddle 1 is 9 and 36 (in the unit of energy), respectively. 64,65 In order that the system can be regarded as "captured" at each minimum before visiting the next minimum with the above criterion, the temperature should be less than ≈ 9/2. Figure 1 shows the reaction probability as a function of the initial condition of the system (q,q) in the region of saddle.…”

Phase space geometry of dynamics passing through saddle coupled with spatial rotation

“…The potential of the theories has been demonstrated not only in chemical reactions with 17,22 and without [23][24][25][26][27] time-dependent external field but also in ionization of a hydrogen atom in crossed electric and magnetic fields, [28][29][30] isomerization of clusters, [31][32][33][34][35][36] and the escape of asteroids from Mars 37,38 [Just recently the theory was also generalized to quantum Hamiltonian systems [39][40][41] and dissipative (generalized) Langevin systems. [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] The dimension of the phase space of an N -particle nonrigid system is (6N − 10) in the upper limit. 52 Nonrigid molecules at constant energy have ten constraints of the three coordinates of center of mass, the three conjugate momenta of center of mass, the three angular momenta (defined in the space-fixed frame), and the total energy of the system.…”