Nonnegativity of the ABP response in dimensions three and higher

Prove that the dimensionless response kernel K_d^{\mathrm{ABP}}(z,\Omega) is nonnegative for every wave-number variable z and frequency variable \Omega in all spatial dimensions d\geq3.

Background

The paper defines the dimensionless ABP response kernel K_d{\mathrm{ABP}}(z,\Omega) from the free-particle trajectory statistics and uses its sign to determine whether individual bath modes can transfer positive mechanical power to a moving weak probe. In two dimensions, the authors analytically identify a negative large-wave-number response, so positive-power modes exist.

For dimensions d\geq3, the authors derive positive asymptotic behavior in several limits and numerically find no negative response over the examined parameter domains. A large-d analysis also indicates that the minimum occurs at zero frequency and approaches a positive value as d increases. These results motivate, but do not prove, the conjectured global nonnegativity.

References

Together with the calculations at fixed d\geq 3, these results support the conjecture

Trajectory Statistics Govern Mechanical Power Transfer in Active Baths  (2609.17047 - Woo et al., 15 Sep 2026) in Section “Dimension dependence of the ABP response” (Section 2.3; Eq. (\ref{eq:abp_conjecture}))