Non-equilibrium thermodynamics with first-passage time of states as independent thermodynamic parameter

TL;DR

This paper explores non-equilibrium thermodynamics by introducing the system lifetime as a key parameter, deriving new relations, and analyzing how different lifetime distributions affect system stability and evolution.

Contribution

It introduces the system lifetime as an independent thermodynamic parameter and derives explicit expressions for average lifetime and related thermodynamic quantities.

Findings

Flows can only decrease the average system lifetime with exponential lifetime distribution.

Alternative lifetime distributions can describe increasing the average lifetime.

Explicit thermodynamic relations are obtained for non-equilibrium states.

Abstract

Non-equilibrium states of a thermodynamic statistical system are investigated using the thermodynamic parameter of the system lifetime, first-passage time, the time before degeneration of the system under influence of fluctuations. Statistical distributions that describe the behavior of energy and lifetime are used. Entropy and obtained thermodynamic relations are compared with the results of Extended Irreversible thermodynamics, where as an additional parameter selected fluxes. Explicit expressions are obtained for average lifetime and conjugate thermodynamic quantity. It is shown that, when is only one stationary non-equilibrium state and exponential distribution for the lifetime, flows can only reduce the average system lifetime. However, there are possibilities to description of increase the average lifetime of the system. A description of the growth of the average lifetime for one stationary non-equilibrium state is possible when choosing distributions for the lifetime, differing from the limiting exponential distribution.