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Work producing reservoirs: Stochastic thermodynamics with generalized Gibbs ensembles

Jordan M. Horowitz and Massimiliano Esposito
Phys. Rev. E 94, 020102(R) – Published 12 August 2016
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Abstract

We develop a consistent stochastic thermodynamics for environments composed of thermodynamic reservoirs in an external conservative force field, that is, environments described by the generalized or Gibbs canonical ensemble. We demonstrate that small systems weakly coupled to such reservoirs exchange both heat and work by verifying a local detailed balance relation for the induced stochastic dynamics. Based on this analysis, we help to rationalize the observation that nonthermal reservoirs can increase the efficiency of thermodynamic heat engines.

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  • Received 24 June 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.94.020102

©2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Statistical Physics & Thermodynamics

Authors & Affiliations

Jordan M. Horowitz1 and Massimiliano Esposito2

  • 1Department of Physics, Physics of Living Systems Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
  • 2Complex Systems and Statistical Mechanics, Physics and Materials Science Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, L-1511 Luxembourg, Luxembourg

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Issue

Vol. 94, Iss. 2 — August 2016

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