Quasiperiodic oscillation and possible Second Law violation in a nanosystem

Simulation of a virus-like particle reveals persistent oscillation about a free-energy minimizing structure. For an icosahedral structure of 12 human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 protein pentamers, the period is about 70 picoseconds and has amplitude of about 4 إ at 300 K and pH 7. The pentamers move radially and out-of-phase with their neighbors. As temperature increases the amplitude and period decrease. Since the dynamics are shown to be friction-dominated and free-energy driven, the oscillations are noninertial. These anomalous oscillations are an apparent violation of the Second Law mediated by fluctuations accompanying nanosystem behavior.