An expression of excess work during the transition between nonequilibrium steady states

Abstract

Excess work is a nondiverging part of the work during the transition between nonequilibrium steady states (NESSs). It is a central quantity in steady-state thermodynamics (SST), which is a candidate for nonequilibrium thermodynamics theory. We derive an expression of excess work during quasistatic transitions between NESSs by using the macroscopic linear response relation of the NESS. This expression is a line integral of a vector potential in the space of control parameters. We show a relationship between the vector potential and the response function of the NESS, and thus obtain a relationship between the SST and a macroscopic quantity. We also connect the macroscopic formulation to microscopic physics through a microscopic expression of the nonequilibrium response function, which gives a result that is consistent with previous studies.