272 research outputs found
Stochastic thermodynamics of chemical reaction networks
For chemical reaction networks described by a master equation, we define
energy and entropy on a stochastic trajectory and develop a consistent
nonequilibrium thermodynamic description along a single stochastic trajectory
of reaction events. A first-law like energy balance relates internal energy,
applied (chemical) work and dissipated heat for every single reaction. Entropy
production along a single trajectory involves a sum over changes in the entropy
of the network itself and the entropy of the medium. The latter is given by the
exchanged heat identified through the first law. Total entropy production is
constrained by an integral fluctuation theorem for networks arbitrarily driven
by time-dependent rates and a detailed fluctuation theorem for networks in the
steady state. Further exact relations like a generalized Jarzynski relation and
a generalized Clausius inequality are discussed. We illustrate these results
for a three-species cyclic reaction network which exhibits nonequilibrium
steady states as well as transitions between different steady states.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in J. Chem. Phy
PHP8 ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS IN GERMANY: COST ANALYSIS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE HOSPITALIZATIONS
La irrupción de las nuevas tecnologías en la vida cotidiana ha supuesto una enorme revolución a la hora de determinar tanto las relaciones entre los sujetos como de comprender e interpretar la realidad. Por ello, la alfabetización mediática se plantea hoy como una disciplina indispensable en los sistemas educativos de todo el mundo. Este artículo recoge los resultados obtenidos en un experimento con estudiantes de educación secundaria. El objetivo es observar hasta qué punto la alfabetización mediática puede resultar de utilidad a la hora de potenciar las competencias interpretativas de los estudiantes. La muestra está formada por alumnos de 14-15 años, pertenecientes al curso Décimo de tres centros escolares de Guayaquil. La variable independiente es conformada por cinco spots. Los resultados subrayan que, al margen del contexto socioeconómico, los alumnos instruidos mediáticamente muestran una capacidad interpretativa y decodificadora superior a aquellos otros que no lo fueron.
 
Magnon-driven quantum-dot heat engine
We investigate a heat- to charge-current converter consisting of a
single-level quantum dot coupled to two ferromagnetic metals and one
ferromagnetic insulator held at different temperatures. We demonstrate that
this nano engine can act as an optimal heat to spin-polarized charge current
converter in an antiparallel geometry, while it acts as a heat to pure spin
current converter in the parallel case. We discuss the maximal output power of
the device and its efficiency.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, published version, selected as Editor's choic
Interaction of molecular motors can enhance their efficiency
Particles moving in oscillating potential with broken mirror symmetry are
considered. We calculate their energetic efficiency, when acting as molecular
motors carrying a load against external force. It is shown that interaction
between particles enhances the efficiency in wide range of parameters. Possible
consequences for artificial molecular motors are discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figure
Efficiency of a Brownian information machine
A Brownian information machine extracts work from a heat bath through a
feedback process that exploits the information acquired in a measurement. For
the paradigmatic case of a particle trapped in a harmonic potential, we
determine how power and efficiency for two variants of such a machine operating
cyclically depend on the cycle time and the precision of the positional
measurements. Controlling only the center of the trap leads to a machine that
has zero efficiency at maximum power whereas additional optimal control of the
stiffness of the trap leads to an efficiency bounded between 1/2, which holds
for maximum power, and 1 reached even for finite cycle time in the limit of
perfect measurements.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure
Sediment transport on the inner shelf off Khao Lak (Andaman Sea, Thailand) during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and former storm events: evidence from foraminiferal transfer functions
We have investigated the benthic foraminiferal fauna from sediment event layers associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and former storms that have been retrieved in short sediment cores from offshore environments of the Andaman Sea, off Khao Lak, western Thailand. Species composition and test preservation of the benthic foraminiferal faunas exhibit pronounced changes across the studied sections and provide information on the depositional history of the tsunami layer, particularly on the source water depth of the displaced foraminiferal tests. In order to obtain accurate bathymetric information on sediment provenance, we have mapped the distribution of modern faunas in non-tsunamigenic surface sediments and created a calibration data set for the development of a transfer function. Our quantitative reconstructions revealed that the resuspension of sediment particles by the tsunami wave was restricted to a maximum water depth of approximately 20 m. Similar values were obtained for former storm events, thus impeding an easy distinction of different high-energy events
Nonequilibrium candidate Monte Carlo: A new tool for efficient equilibrium simulation
Metropolis Monte Carlo simulation is a powerful tool for studying the
equilibrium properties of matter. In complex condensed-phase systems, however,
it is difficult to design Monte Carlo moves with high acceptance probabilities
that also rapidly sample uncorrelated configurations. Here, we introduce a new
class of moves based on nonequilibrium dynamics: candidate configurations are
generated through a finite-time process in which a system is actively driven
out of equilibrium, and accepted with criteria that preserve the equilibrium
distribution. The acceptance rule is similar to the Metropolis acceptance
probability, but related to the nonequilibrium work rather than the
instantaneous energy difference. Our method is applicable to sampling from both
a single thermodynamic state or a mixture of thermodynamic states, and allows
both coordinates and thermodynamic parameters to be driven in nonequilibrium
proposals. While generating finite-time switching trajectories incurs an
additional cost, driving some degrees of freedom while allowing others to
evolve naturally can lead to large enhancements in acceptance probabilities,
greatly reducing structural correlation times. Using nonequilibrium driven
processes vastly expands the repertoire of useful Monte Carlo proposals in
simulations of dense solvated systems
Engineered swift equilibration of a Brownian particle
A fundamental and intrinsic property of any device or natural system is its
relaxation time relax, which is the time it takes to return to equilibrium
after the sudden change of a control parameter [1]. Reducing relax , is
frequently necessary, and is often obtained by a complex feedback process. To
overcome the limitations of such an approach, alternative methods based on
driving have been recently demonstrated [2, 3], for isolated quantum and
classical systems [4--9]. Their extension to open systems in contact with a
thermostat is a stumbling block for applications. Here, we design a
protocol,named Engineered Swift Equilibration (ESE), that shortcuts
time-consuming relaxations, and we apply it to a Brownian particle trapped in
an optical potential whose properties can be controlled in time. We implement
the process experimentally, showing that it allows the system to reach
equilibrium times faster than the natural equilibration rate. We also estimate
the increase of the dissipated energy needed to get such a time reduction. The
method paves the way for applications in micro and nano devices, where the
reduction of operation time represents as substantial a challenge as
miniaturization [10]. The concepts of equilibrium and of transformations from
an equilibrium state to another, are cornerstones of thermodynamics. A textbook
illustration is provided by the expansion of a gas, starting at equilibrium and
expanding to reach a new equilibrium in a larger vessel. This operation can be
performed either very slowly by a piston, without dissipating energy into the
environment, or alternatively quickly, letting the piston freely move to reach
the new volume
Efficiency of Free Energy Transduction in Autonomous Systems
We consider the thermodynamics of chemical coupling from the viewpoint of
free energy transduction efficiency. In contrast to an external
parameter-driven stochastic energetics setup, the dynamic change of the
equilibrium distribution induced by chemical coupling, adopted, for example, in
biological systems, is inevitably an autonomous process. We found that the
efficiency is bounded by the ratio between the non-symmetric and the
symmetrized Kullback-Leibler distance, which is significantly lower than unity.
Consequences of this low efficiency are demonstrated in the simple two-state
case, which serves as an important minimal model for studying the energetics of
biomolecules.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Energetics and performance of a microscopic heat engine based on exact calculations of work and heat distributions
We investigate a microscopic motor based on an externally controlled
two-level system. One cycle of the motor operation consists of two strokes.
Within each stroke, the two-level system is in contact with a given thermal
bath and its energy levels are driven with a constant rate. The time evolution
of the occupation probabilities of the two states are controlled by one rate
equation and represent the system's response with respect to the external
driving. We give the exact solution of the rate equation for the limit cycle
and discuss the emerging thermodynamics: the work done on the environment, the
heat exchanged with the baths, the entropy production, the motor's efficiency,
and the power output. Furthermore we introduce an augmented stochastic process
which reflects, at a given time, both the occupation probabilities for the two
states and the time spent in the individual states during the previous
evolution. The exact calculation of the evolution operator for the augmented
process allows us to discuss in detail the probability density for the
performed work during the limit cycle. In the strongly irreversible regime, the
density exhibits important qualitative differences with respect to the more
common Gaussian shape in the regime of weak irreversibility.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure
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