Stephen W. Teitsworth

Prof. Stephen Teitsworth's research centers on theoretical and experimental studies of noise-driven processes in far-from-equilibrium systems. Recent activity has centered around the development and implementation of novel metrics such as stochastic area which allow one to quantify how far from equilibrium a system is.  These concepts have been developed and applied to low dimensional systems such as mechanical mass-spring assemblies and coupled electronic circuits driven by out-of-equilibrium noise sources.  

Two problems of current interest are: 1) the extension of the stochastic area and related concepts to high-dimensional spatially continuous systems such as elastic filaments (e.g., strings or rods) embedded in viscoelastic media and driven by active noise sources; 2) studies of first-passage processes associated with heating of trapped ions in Paul traps (in collaboration with the group of Prof. Noel at Duke).