Dynamic phase transitions in simple driven kinetic networks

TL;DR

This paper investigates entropy production fluctuations in driven kinetic networks, revealing a dynamic phase transition between two regimes in large systems, relevant for biological out-of-equilibrium processes.

Contribution

It introduces a model for analyzing entropy production in driven kinetic networks and uncovers a dynamic phase transition in large system limits.

Findings

Identification of a dynamic phase transition in entropy production fluctuations

Demonstration of distinct dynamical regimes in large systems

Relevance to biological out-of-equilibrium processes

Abstract

We analyze the probability distribution for entropy production rates of trajectories evolving on a class of out-of-equilibrium kinetic networks. These networks can serve as simple models for driven dynamical systems, which are of particular importance in biological processes, where energy fluxes typically result in non-equilibrium dynamics. By analyzing the fluctuations in the entropy production, we demonstrate the emergence, in a large system size limit, of a dynamic phase transition between two distinct dynamical regimes.