Equilibrium free energy differences from nonequilibrium measurements: a master equation approach
Statistical Mechanics
2009-10-30 v1 Chemical Physics
Abstract
It has recently been shown that the Helmholtz free energy difference between two equilibrium configurations of a system may be obtained from an ensemble of finite-time (nonequilibrium) measurements of the work performed in switching an external parameter of the system. Here this result is established, as an identity, within the master equation formalism. Examples are discussed and numerical illustrations provided.
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9707325,
title = {Equilibrium free energy differences from nonequilibrium measurements: a master equation approach},
author = {C. Jarzynski},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9707325},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
29 pages + 9 figures, to appear in Phys Rev E