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arXiv · 2009.07973

Hidden energy flows in strongly coupled nonequilibrium systems

Steven J Large·David A Sivak
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Abstract

Quantifying the flow of energy within and through fluctuating nanoscale systems poses a significant challenge to understanding microscopic biological machines. A common approach involves coarse-graining, which allows a simplified description of such systems. This has the side effect of inducing so-called hidden contributions (due to sub-resolution dynamics) that complicate the resulting thermodynamics. Here we develop a thermodynamically consistent theory describing the nonequilibrium excess power internal to autonomous systems, and introduce a phenomenological framework to quantify the hidden excess power associated with their operation. We confirm our theoretical predictions in numerical simulations of a minimal model for both a molecular transport motor and a rotary motor.

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Steven J Large, David A Sivak. 2020-09-16. Hidden energy flows in strongly coupled nonequilibrium systems. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/133/10003

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