Invariance of steady-state thermodynamics between different scales of description

By considering general Markov stochastic dynamics and its coarse graining, we study the framework of stochastic thermodynamics for the original and reduced descriptions corresponding to different scales. We are especially concerned with the case where the irreversible entropy production has a finite...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics Vol. 91; no. 1; p. 012115
Main Authors Nakayama, Yohei, Kawaguchi, Kyogo
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.01.2015
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

Loading…
More Information
Summary:By considering general Markov stochastic dynamics and its coarse graining, we study the framework of stochastic thermodynamics for the original and reduced descriptions corresponding to different scales. We are especially concerned with the case where the irreversible entropy production has a finite difference between the scales. We find that the sum of the increment of the nonequilibrium entropy and the excess part of the entropy production, which are key quantities in the construction of steady-state thermodynamics, is essentially kept invariant with respect to the change in the scales of description. This general result justifies experimental approaches toward steady-state thermodynamics based on coarse-grained variables. We demonstrate our result in a mesoscopic heat engine system.
ISSN:1550-2376
DOI:10.1103/physreve.91.012115