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arXiv · 1404.6466

Macroscopic fluctuation theory

Lorenzo Bertini·Alberto De Sole·Davide Gabrielli·Giovanni Jona-Lasinio·Claudio Landim
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Abstract

Stationary non-equilibrium states describe steady flows through macroscopic systems. Although they represent the simplest generalization of equilibrium states, they exhibit a variety of new phenomena. Within a statistical mechanics approach, these states have been the subject of several theoretical investigations, both analytic and numerical. The macroscopic fluctuation theory, based on a formula for the probability of joint space-time fluctuations of thermodynamic variables and currents, provides a unified macroscopic treatment of such states for driven diffusive systems. We give a detailed review of this theory including its main predictions and most relevant applications.

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Lorenzo Bertini, Alberto De Sole, Davide Gabrielli, Giovanni Jona-Lasinio, Claudio Landim. 2014-04-25. Macroscopic fluctuation theory. https://doi.org/10.1103/revmodphys.87.593

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