R J Harris and G M Schütz J. Stat. Mech. (2007) P07020 doi:10.1088/1742-5468/2007/07/P07020
R J Harris1 and G M Schütz2
Show affiliationsPart of Focus on Dynamics of Non-Equilibrium Systems
Fluctuation theorems make use of time reversal to make predictions about entropy production in many-body systems far from thermal equilibrium. Here we review the wide variety of distinct, but interconnected, relations that have been derived and investigated theoretically and experimentally. Significantly, we demonstrate, in the context of Markovian stochastic dynamics, how these different fluctuation theorems arise from a simple fundamental time-reversal symmetry of a certain class of observables. Appealing to the notion of Gibbs entropy allows for a microscopic definition of entropy production in terms of these observables. We work with the master equation approach, which leads to a mathematically straightforward proof and provides direct insight into the probabilistic meaning of the quantities involved. Finally, we point to some experiments that elucidate the practical significance of fluctuation relations.
E-print Number: cond-mat/0702553
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Refers: to
05.40.-a Fluctuation phenomena, random processes, noise, and Brownian motion
82C31 Stochastic methods (Fokker-Planck, Langevin, etc.) (See also 60H10)
82C35 Irreversible thermodynamics, including Onsager-Machlup theory
Issue 07 (July 2007)
Received 26 February 2007, accepted for publication 14 April 2007
Published 24 July 2007
R J Harris and G M Schütz J. Stat. Mech. (2007) P07020
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