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Probability currents and entropy production in nonequilibrium lattice systems
György Szabó1, Tânia Tomé, István Borsos
1Research Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, PO Box 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary.
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|September 28, 2010
Summary
This study analyzes probability currents in nonequilibrium lattice systems to understand entropy production. Researchers developed a method to estimate entropy production by examining transition rates on small clusters, revealing lattice symmetry effects.
Area of Science:
- Statistical Mechanics
- Complex Systems
Background:
- Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics describes systems not in thermal equilibrium.
- Lattice systems are models used to study physical phenomena in discrete spaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structure of probability currents in dynamical networks.
- To understand entropy production in two-state, nonequilibrium lattice systems.
Main Methods:
- Analyzing probability current structures through consecutive network contraction.
- Examining transition rates between configurations on small clusters.
- Investigating the impact of lattice symmetries on elementary transitions.
Main Results:
- The study reveals how lattice symmetries influence elementary transitions responsible for entropy production.
- A method for estimating entropy production at varying approximation levels (cluster sizes) was demonstrated.
Conclusions:
- The contraction method provides insights into entropy production mechanisms in nonequilibrium systems.
- The findings are applicable to models like the 2D contact process with mutation.
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