Random walk of second class particles in product shock measures

We consider shock measures in a class of conserving stochastic particle systems on Z. These shock measures have a product structure with a step-like density profile and include a second class particle at the shock position. We show for the asymmetric simple exclusion process, for the exponential bricklayers’ process, and for a generalized zero range process, that under certain conditions these shocks, and therefore the second class particles, perform a simple random walk. Some previous results, including random walks of product shock measures and stationary shock measures seen from a second class particle, are direct consequences of our more general theorem. Multiple shocks can also be handled easily in this framework. Similar shock structure is also found in a nonconserving model, the branching coalescing random walk, where the role of the second class particle is played by the rightmost (or leftmost) particle.