Yun-Yun Li
Abstract: For systems on nanoscales, noise plays a major role and cannot be neglected. Here, it has been investigated in a special neuron named Autapse and artificial channels. The first part, one focus is on the Autapse phenomena, in which the dendrites form synapse transmitting information to its own. The stochastic fluctuations stemming from the intrinsic channel noise have been taken into account. The Autapse phenomena can be modeled by a stochastic Hodgkin-Huxley model with a Pyragas-like delayed feedback mechanism. Spontaneous spikes maintained by noise are found and exhibit characteristic time scales. Due to the presence of delayed feedback, a new time scale is introduced into the system. As a result, bursting and frequency-locking are found between these two time scales.
In the second part, the Brownian motion confined by geometrical boundaries in 2D or 3D systems is studied. Based on the assumption of fast equilibrium in certain direction, the high dimensional system can be described by 1D system in presence of entropic potential barriers. The so-called entropic transport is analytically studied by means of Fick-Jacobs equation. Meanwhile, numerical simulations in high dimensions have also been performed. Lots of interesting phenomena has been found due to the interplay between energetic and entropic transport contributions.
Location: 606 Conference Room
Date and time: Nov 4, 2011   14:30