The theory of quasistatic nanomachines

The motion of a system of several bodies linked by bonds of variable length in a spatially periodic potential is studied. It is shown that quasistatic periodic variations of the system parameters in time can induce translational motion of the system in the absence of directed external forces, or motion in the direction opposite to that of an external force. To provide for the possibility of the induced translational motion, the system parameters (e.g., bond lengths) must vary in the space of these parameters according to closed trajectories containing one or several closed bifurcation sets of the given system. The bifurcation sets for some model systems are found. It is demonstrated that the proposed mechanism of the translational motion induction can be realized, in particular, by applying an alternating elliptically polarized electric field to particles of nanometer dimensions occurring on a chemically inert crystal (e.g., graphite) surface.