Two-point approximation to the Kramers problem with coloured noise

We present a method, founded on previous renewal approaches as the classical Wilemski-Fixman approximation, to describe the escape dynamics from a potential well of a particle subject to non-Markovian fluctuations. In particular, we show how to provide an approximated expression for the distribution of escape times if the system is governed by a generalized Langevin equation (GLE). While we show that the method could apply to any friction kernel in the GLE, we focus here on the case of power-law kernels, for which extensive literature has appeared in the last years. The method presented (termed as two-point approximation) is able to fit the distribution of escape times adequately for low potential barriers, even if conditions are far from Markovian. In addition, it confirms that non-exponential decays arise when a power-law friction kernel is considered (in agreement with related works published recently), which questions the existence of a characteristic reaction rate in such situations. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.