Stochastic thermodynamics of a probe in a fluctuating correlated field

TL;DR

This paper develops a stochastic thermodynamics framework for a probe in a correlated fluctuating medium, revealing how heat flux and dissipation depend on criticality and drag velocity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel theoretical approach to analyze thermodynamics of probes in correlated fields, especially near critical points.

Findings

Heat flux exhibits a dipolar pattern near criticality.

Dissipated power varies across three dynamical regimes based on drag velocity.

Long-range correlations influence heat absorption and dissipation.

Abstract

We develop a framework for the stochastic thermodynamics of a probe coupled to a fluctuating medium with spatio-temporal correlations, described by a scalar field. For a Brownian particle dragged by a harmonic trap through a fluctuating Gaussian field, we show that near criticality (where the field displays long-range spatial correlations) the spatially-resolved average heat flux develops a dipolar structure, where heat is absorbed in front and dissipated behind the dragged particle. Moreover, a perturbative calculation reveals that the dissipated power displays three distinct dynamical regimes depending on the drag velocity.