Finite bath fluctuation theorem

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2009 Sep;80(3 Pt 1):031145. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.80.031145. Epub 2009 Sep 28.

Abstract

We demonstrate that a finite bath fluctuation theorem of the Crooks type holds for systems that have been thermalized via weakly coupling them to a bath with energy independent finite specific heat. We show that this theorem reduces to the known canonical and microcanonical fluctuation theorems in the two respective limiting cases of infinite and vanishing specific heat of the bath. The result is elucidated by applying it to a two-dimensional hard disk colliding elastically with few other hard disks in a rectangular box with perfectly reflecting walls.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't