Thermodynamic derivation and use of a nonequilibrium canonical ensemble

TL;DR

This paper derives a thermodynamic framework for nonequilibrium systems using information theory, connecting it to key results like the fluctuation theorem and Jarzynski equality.

Contribution

It introduces a nonequilibrium canonical ensemble based on an information-theoretic entropy interpretation, extending thermodynamics to nonequilibrium states.

Findings

Derives a nonequilibrium canonical distribution.

Shows the distribution implies the fluctuation theorem.

Demonstrates the distribution leads to the Jarzynski equality.

Abstract

A thermodynamic expression for the analog of the canonical ensemble for nonequilibrium systems is described based on a purely information theoretical interpretation of entropy. As an application, it is shown that this nonequilibrium canonical distribution implies some important results from nonequilibrium thermodynamics, specifically, the fluctuation theorem and the Jarzynski-equality.