Macroscopic fluctuation theory

TL;DR

Macroscopic fluctuation theory offers a unified framework for understanding steady non-equilibrium states in driven diffusive systems, revealing new phenomena beyond equilibrium, supported by analytical and numerical investigations.

Contribution

This paper provides a comprehensive review of macroscopic fluctuation theory, highlighting its main predictions and key applications in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics.

Findings

Unified treatment of non-equilibrium states

Prediction of new phenomena in steady flows

Application to driven diffusive systems

Abstract

Stationary non-equilibrium states describe steady flows through macroscopic systems. Although they represent the simplest generalization of equilibrium states, they exhibit a variety of new phenomena. Within a statistical mechanics approach, these states have been the subject of several theoretical investigations, both analytic and numerical. The macroscopic fluctuation theory, based on a formula for the probability of joint space-time fluctuations of thermodynamic variables and currents, provides a unified macroscopic treatment of such states for driven diffusive systems. We give a detailed review of this theory including its main predictions and most relevant applications.