Fluctuations, linear response and heat flux of an aging system

TL;DR

This study investigates the nonequilibrium dynamics of an aging gelatin system by measuring Brownian particle fluctuations, linear response, and heat flux, revealing how aging affects fluctuation-dissipation relations.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative link between heat flux and fluctuation-dissipation theorem violations during aging in a gel.

Findings

Heat flux is related to FDT violation.

Aging causes measurable deviations from equilibrium.

The system's nonequilibrium behavior is characterized quantitatively.

Abstract

We measure the fluctuations of the position of a Brownian particle confined by an optical trap in an aging gelatin droplet after a fast quench. Its linear response to an external perturbation is also measured. We compute the spontaneous heat flux from the particle to the bath due to the nonequilibrium formation of the gel. We show that the mean heat flux is quantitatively related to the violation of the equilibrium fluctuation-dissipation theorem as a measure of the broken detailed balance during the aging process.