Superstatistics as the thermodynamic limit of driven classical systems

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that superstatistics can describe the thermodynamics of driven classical systems in the thermodynamic limit, validated through molecular dynamics simulations of a driven Lennard-Jones crystal.

Contribution

It establishes superstatistics as a valid framework for driven classical systems' thermodynamics in the thermodynamic limit, extending its applicability beyond long-range interactions.

Findings

Superstatistics describes the potential energy distribution in driven classical systems.

Molecular dynamics simulations agree with superstatistics-based theoretical predictions.

The approach applies to systems with externally imposed energy fluctuations.

Abstract

Superstatistics is an elegant framework for the description of steady-state thermodynamics, mostly used for systems with long-range interactions such as plasmas. In this work, we show that the potential energy distribution of a classical system under externally imposed energy fluctuations can also be described by superstatistics in the thermodynamic limit. As an example, we apply this formalism to the thermodynamics of a finite Lennard-Jones crystal with constant microcanonical heat capacity driven by sinusoidal energy oscillations. Our results show that molecular dynamics simulations of the Lennard-Jones crystal are in agreement with the provided theoretical predictions.