Bound particle coupled to two thermostats

TL;DR

This paper analyzes a harmonically bound Brownian particle coupled to two heat reservoirs, demonstrating that the harmonic trap does not alter the large deviation function or the fluctuation theorem, supported by analytical and numerical results.

Contribution

It shows that harmonic confinement does not affect the large deviation function or fluctuation theorem for a Brownian particle with two heat baths.

Findings

Large deviation function remains unchanged by harmonic trap.

Gallavotti-Cohen fluctuation theorem holds with harmonic confinement.

Numerical simulations support analytical results.

Abstract

We consider a harmonically bound Brownian particle coupled to two distinct heat reservoirs at different temperatures. We show that the presence of a harmonic trap does not change the large deviation function from the case of a free Brownian particle discussed by Derrida and Brunet and Visco. Likewise, the Gallavotti-Cohen fluctuation theorem related to the entropy production at the heat sources remains in force. We support the analytical results with numerical simulations.