Entropy production of nano systems with timescale separation

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that hidden entropy production in nano systems with timescale separation can be inferred from the violation spectrum of fluctuation-response relations, enabling measurement without observing all variables.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical framework showing how to detect hidden entropy production via violation spectra in Markov systems with timescale separation.

Findings

Violation spectrum exhibits a characteristic plateau in intermediate frequencies.

Plateau accounts for energy dissipation over broad timescales.

Hidden entropy production can be probed without observing fast variables.

Abstract

Energy flow in bio-molecular motors and machines are vital to their function. Yet experimental observations are often limited to a small subset of variables that participate in energy transport and dissipation. Here we show, through a solvable Langevin model, that the seemingly hidden entropy production is measurable through the violation spectrum of the fluctuation-response relation of a slow observable. For general Markov systems with timescale separation, we prove that the violation spectrum exhibits a characteristic plateau in the intermediate frequency region. Despite its vanishing height, the plateau can account for energy dissipation over a broad timescale. Our findings suggest a general possibility to probe hidden entropy production in nano systems without direct observation of fast variables.