Arrested Ostwald Ripening in Non-Equilibrium Systems

Abstract: Absence of Ostwald ripening has been observed in living cells, which operate out of equilibrium. Using molecular dynamics we study the behaviour of liquid droplets away from equilibrium in a system of particles interacting with each other via several central potential. The system is driven out of equilibrium either by the particles randomly transitioning between two states, or by randomly changing their momenta. In all cases Ostwald ripening is absent only away from equilibrium. This phenomena, might be the mechanism by which droplets in living cells are stabilized.