Posterior probability and fluctuation theorem in stochastic processes

A generalization of fluctuation theorems in stochastic processes is proposed. The new theorem is written in terms of posterior probabilities, which are introduced via the Bayes theorem. In usual fluctuation theorems, a forward path and its time reversal play an important role, so that a microscopically reversible condition is essential. In contrast, the microscopically reversible condition is not necessary in the new theorem. It is shown that the new theorem adequately recovers various theorems and relations previously known, such as the Gallavotti-Cohen-type fluctuation theorem, the Jarzynski equality, and the Hatano-Sasa relation, when adequate assumptions are employed.Comment: 4 page

A local fluctuation theorem for large systems

The fluctuation theorem characterizes the distribution of the dissipation in nonequilibrium systems and proves that the average dissipation will be positive. For a large system with no external source of fluctuation, fluctuations in properties will become unobservable and details of the fluctuation theorem are unable to be explored. In this letter, we consider such a situation and show how a fluctuation theorem can be obtained for a small open subsystem within the large system. We find that a correction term has to be added to the large system fluctuation theorem due to correlation of the subsystem with the surroundings. Its analytic expression can be derived provided some general assumptions are fulfilled, and its relevance it checked using numerical simulations.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures; revised and supplementary material include

Fluctuation theorems for excess and housekeeping heats for underdamped systems

We present a simple derivation of the integral fluctuation theorems for excess housekeeping heat for an underdamped Langevin system, without using the concept of dual dynamics. In conformity with the earlier results, we find that the fluctuation theorem for housekeeping heat holds when the steady state distributions are symmetric in velocity, whereas there is no such requirement for the excess heat. We first prove the integral fluctuation theorem for the excess heat, and then show that it naturally leads to the integral fluctuation theorem for housekeeping heat. We also derive the modified detailed fluctuation theorems for the excess and housekeeping heats.Comment: 10 pages. Section 3 contains further generalization

Unified Treatment of Quantum Fluctuation Theorem and Jarzynski Equality in Terms of microscopic reversibility

There are two related theorems which hold even in far from equilibrium, namely fluctuation theorem and Jarzynski equality. Fluctuation theorem states the existence of symmetry of fluctuation of entropy production, while Jarzynski equality enables us to estimate the free energy change between two states by using irreversible processes. On the other hand, relationship between these theorems was investigated by Crooks for the classical stochastic systems. In this letter, we derive quantum analogues of fluctuation theorem and Jarzynski equality microscopic reversibility condition. In other words, the quantum analogue of the work by Crooks is presented.Comment: 7pages, revised versio

A local fluctuation theorem

A mechanism for the validity of a local version of the fluctuation theorem, uniform in the system size, is discussed for a reversible chain of weakly coupled Anosov systems.Comment: plain TeX, 1 figur

Fluctuation Theorem and Chaos

The heat theorem (i.e. the second law of thermodynamics or the existence of entropy) is a manifestation of a general property of hamiltonian mechanics and of the ergodic Hypothesis. In nonequilibrium thermodynamics of stationary states the chaotic hypothesis plays a similar role: it allows a unique determination of the probability distribution (called {\rm SRB} distribution on phase space providing the time averages of the observables. It also implies an expression for a few averages concrete enough to derive consequences of symmetry properties like the fluctuation theorem or to formulate a theory of coarse graining unifying the foundations of equilibrium and of nonequilibrium.Comment: Basis for the plenary talk at StatPhys23 (Genova July 2007

Finite Bath Fluctuation Theorem

We demonstrate that a Finite Bath Fluctuation Theorem of the Crooks type holds for systems that have been thermalized via weakly coupling it 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 2D hard disk colliding elastically with few other hard disks in a rectangular box with perfectly reflecting walls.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures. Added Sec. V and App.