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Asymptotics of work distributions in nonequilibrium systems
1Institut für Physik, Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
Abstract:
The asymptotic behavior of the work distribution in driven nonequilibrium systems is determined using the method of optimal fluctuations. For systems described by Langevin dynamics the corresponding Euler-Lagrange equation together with the appropriate boundary conditions and an equation for the leading pre-exponential factor are derived. The method is applied to three representative examples and the results are used to improve the accuracy of free-energy estimates based on the application of the Jarzynski equation.
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