Quasi-equilibrium interpretation of aging dynamics

TL;DR

This paper offers a quasi-equilibrium interpretation of aging dynamics in mean-field glassy models, linking off-equilibrium relaxation to equilibrium concepts and explaining fluctuation-dissipation relations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel quasi-equilibrium framework for understanding aging in glassy systems, connecting fluctuation-dissipation ratios to configurational entropy growth.

Findings

Relaxation of thermoremanent magnetization follows a generalized Onsager regression.

Fluctuation-dissipation ratio equals the rate of configurational entropy growth.

Provides theoretical rationale for empirical observations in mean-field models.

Abstract

We develop an interpretation of the off-equilibrium dynamical solution of mean-field glassy models in terms of quasi-equilibrium concepts. We show that the relaxation of the "thermoremanent magnetization" follows a generalized version of the Onsager regression postulate of induced fluctuations. We then find the rationale for the equality between the fluctuation-dissipation ratio and the rate of growth of the configurational entropy close to the asymptotic state, found empirically in mean-field solutions.