{
  "abstract": "The mechanical response of a moving probe in an active bath reflects both the dynamics of the bath and how the probe couples to it. For a probe moving at velocity $\\mathbf V$ and interacting weakly with an ideal active bath, we show that the trajectory statistics of a free bath particle determine a density response from which the bath force on the probe follows. The probe-particle interaction determines how this response is weighted over wave vector $\\mathbf q$, while the probe motion selects frequencies $ω_{\\mathbf q}=\\mathbf q\\cdot \\mathbf V$. This trajectory-response relation separates the bath dynamics from the wave-vector weighting, so neither the stationary state nor force correlations need to be recalculated for each probe interaction and velocity. Applying this relation to active-particle models, we prove that positive power transfer is excluded for active Ornstein--Uhlenbeck particles in all dimensions and for complete-reset run-and-tumble particles in $d\\geq2$, while one-dimensional run-and-tumble particles and two-dimensional active Brownian particles possess modes that can transfer positive mechanical power. For a given probe, this response predicts drag reversal, spontaneous probe motion, and motion-induced density distortions, all in quantitative agreement with simulations. Varying the probe geometry changes how the same bath response is weighted, thereby selecting different moving states. Beyond the leading weak-probe, ideal-bath limit, higher orders in probe strength involve multi-interval trajectory statistics, while finite-density corrections involve interacting-particle dynamics. Our results connect the trajectory statistics of active bath particles to the mechanical response of a passive probe, providing a route to predict probe response from single-particle trajectory statistics measured in the absence of the probe.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2609.17047",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Chul-Ung Woo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jiwon Choi"
    },
    {
      "name": "Heiko Rieger"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5fem2xcvbc2vp.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2609.17047",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "5fem2xcvbc2vp",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.17047",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.soft"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.stat-mech"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3104|Micro and Nano Robotics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213433878",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2609.17047",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-15",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5fem2xcvbc2vp.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:41Z",
      "native_id": "2609.17047",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.17047"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.soft",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.stat-mech",
      "subfield": "statistical-nonlinear"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Trajectory Statistics Govern Mechanical Power Transfer in Active Baths",
  "title_text": "Trajectory Statistics Govern Mechanical Power Transfer in Active Baths",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5fem2xcvbc2vp",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}