1999•Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topicsOpen access
Fluctuation theorem for stochastic systems
Debra J. Searles, Denis J. Evans
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Abstract
The fluctuation theorem describes the probability ratio of observing trajectories that satisfy or violate the second law of thermodynamics. It has been proved in a number of different ways for thermostatted deterministic nonequilibrium systems. In the present paper we show that the fluctuation theorem is also valid for a class of stochastic nonequilibrium systems. The theorem is therefore not reliant on the reversibility or the determinism of the underlying dynamics. Numerical tests verify the theoretical result.
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