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Efficiency Fluctuations of Stochastic Machines Undergoing a Phase Transition
Hadrien Vroylandt1, Massimiliano Esposito2, Gatien Verley1
1Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3, IJCLab, 91405 Orsay, France.
Physical Review Letters
|July 9, 2020
Summary
This study examines efficiency fluctuations in stochastic heat engines with interacting machines. The engine
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Statistical Mechanics
- Complex Systems
Background:
- Stochastic heat engines are crucial for understanding energy conversion at small scales.
- Phase transitions in macroscopic systems can significantly alter their behavior.
- Efficiency fluctuations are key metrics for evaluating engine performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate efficiency fluctuations in a stochastic heat engine composed of N interacting unicyclic machines.
- To analyze the impact of phase transitions on engine efficiency and its distribution.
- To explore the relationship between system size (N), observation time, and the ergodic/nonergodic behavior of the engine.
Main Methods:
- Macroscopic limit analysis of a system of N interacting unicyclic machines.
- Investigation of phase space exploration based on N and observation time.
- Mathematical proof regarding the decay rate of the efficiency distribution.
Main Results:
- Engine efficiency exhibits different fluctuation patterns in ergodic (large interval) and nonergodic (clustered around most likely values) regimes.
- The system's ability to explore its phase space is dependent on N and observation duration.
- A phase transition does not alter the largest decay rate of the efficiency distribution at the reversible efficiency.
Conclusions:
- The behavior of stochastic heat engines is sensitive to system parameters and observation scales, leading to distinct efficiency fluctuation regimes.
- Phase transitions introduce complexity but maintain fundamental properties of the efficiency distribution decay rate.
- Understanding these fluctuations is vital for designing efficient energy conversion devices.
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