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The Entropy Production Fluctuation Theorem and the Nonequilibrium Work Relation for Free Energy Differences

Gavin E. Crooks
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Abstract

There are only a very few known relations in statistical dynamics that are valid for systems driven arbitrarily far-from-equilibrium. One of these is the fluctuation theorem, which places conditions on the entropy production probability distribution of nonequilibrium systems. Another recently discovered far-from-equilibrium expression relates nonequilibrium measurements of the work done on a system to equilibrium free energy differences. In this paper, we derive a generalized version of the fluctuation theorem for stochastic, microscopically reversible dynamics. Invoking this generalized theorem provides a succinct proof of the nonequilibrium work relation.

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BibTeXRIS

Gavin E. Crooks. 1999-07-29. The Entropy Production Fluctuation Theorem and the Nonequilibrium Work Relation for Free Energy Differences. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.60.2721

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