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Extended forms of the second law for general time-dependent stochastic processes.
1School of Mathematical Sciences and Center for Computational Systems Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China. gehao@fudan.edu.cn
Summary
This study extends the second law of thermodynamics to time-dependent stochastic processes, offering an instantaneous interpretation applicable beyond stationary states. The findings align with classical thermodynamics principles.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Thermodynamics
- Statistical Mechanics
Background:
- The second law of thermodynamics is a fundamental principle governing energy transfer and entropy.
- Previous work extended this law to transitions between nonequilibrium stationary states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an instantaneous interpretation of the second law for time-dependent stochastic processes.
- To generalize the second law beyond the requirement of stationary initial and final states.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical extension of the second law of thermodynamics.
- Application to general time-dependent stochastic processes, including master-equation models and Langevin dynamics.
Main Results:
- An instantaneous interpretation of the extended second law was formulated.
- The extended law holds for non-stationary initial and final states.
Conclusions:
- The generalized second law is consistent with classical thermodynamics.
- This provides a broader framework for analyzing thermodynamic processes.
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