Path-dependent Entropy Production
Statistical Mechanics
2015-10-28 v1
Abstract
A rigorous derivation of nonequilibrium entropy production via the path-integral formalism is presented. Entropy production is defined as the entropy change piled in a heat reservoir as a result of a nonequilibrium thermodynamic process. It is a central quantity by which various forms of the fluctuation theorem are obtained. The two kinds of the stochastic dynamics are investigated: the Langevin dynamics for an even-parity state and the Brownian motion of a single particle. Mathematical ambiguities in deriving the functional form of the entropy production, which depends on path in state space, are clarified by using a rigorous quantum mechanical approach.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1508.01276,
title = {Path-dependent Entropy Production},
author = {Chulan Kwon},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1508.01276},
year = {2015}
}