Research project Quantitative analysis of non-equilibrium systems
Non equilibrium systems abound in nature on all scales but general principles that guide their working are not known. This project concerns investigating an aspect that all non-equilibrium systems have in common- entropy generation.
One common feature of ALL non-equilibrium systems is their constant production of entropy. This entropy production is a
fundamental quantitative measure of the irreversibility of the dynamics and, particularly for small microscopic systems,
carries information about efficiencies of processes, heat generated by computations, hidden degrees of freedom, rates of
energy transfer and optimal operating conditions. However, it is often hard to measure since, for microscopic systems, it is
of small magnitude and highly fluctuating. In this project we will investigate how to estimate this quantity directly from
experimental data without simplifying models or assumptions.
Project description
Non-equilibrium thermodynamics at microscopic length scales is dominated by a fascinating range of phenomena where thermal fluctuations play a crucial role. These phenomena can now be observed in great detail experimentally, due to the availability and
scope of current microscopic manipulation techniques. The interpretation and quantitative analysis of the experimentally available data is however lagging behind these advances, mostly due to the fact that the vast majority of these systems are too complicated to model without making several approximations. A relevant question is whether it is at all possible to gain any precise quantitative information about a complex non-equilibrium system directly from experimental data, bypassing the first step of either having a known model to compare with or building in simplifying assumptions about the system. In this project, we will investigate this issue by studying properties of entropy production in non-equilibrium systems both theoretically and from available experimental data.
Project members
Project managers
Supriya Krishnamurthy
Universitetslektor
