Abstract
Fluctuation theorems (FTs), such as the Crooks or Jarzynski equalities (JEs), have become an important tool in single-molecule biophysics where they allow experimentalists to exploit thermal fluctuations and measure free-energy differences from non-equilibrium pulling experiments. The rich phenomenology of biomolecular systems has stimulated the development of extensions to the standard FTs, to encompass different experimental situations. Here we discuss an extension of the Crooks fluctuation relation that allows the thermodynamic characterization of kinetic molecular states. This extension can be connected to the generalized JE under feedback. Finally we address the recently introduced concept of thermodynamic inference or how FTs can be used to extract the total entropy production distribution in nonequilibrium systems from partial entropy production measurements. We discuss the significance of the concept of effective temperature in this context and show how thermodynamic inference provides a unifying comprehensive picture in several nonequilibrium problems.
Highlights
Experiments determine the ultimate fate of scientific theories
Over the past 20 years we have witnessed a fast development of theoretical concepts and experimental tools that have contributed to our understanding of energy processes in non-equilibrium small systems
extended fluctuation relation (EFR) were born when full equilibrium was replaced by partial equilibrium at the beginning of both forward and reversed experimental protocols
Summary
From free energy measurements to thermodynamic inference in nonequilibrium small systems. Any further distribution of this work must maintain fluctuations and measure free-energy differences from non-equilibrium pulling experiments. The attribution to the rich phenomenology of biomolecular systems has stimulated the development of extensions to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation standard FTs, to encompass different experimental situations. Crooks fluctuation relation that allows the thermodynamic characterization of kinetic molecular states. This extension can be connected to the generalized JE under feedback. We address the recently introduced concept of thermodynamic inference or how FTs can be used to extract the total entropy production distribution in nonequilibrium systems from partial entropy production measurements. We discuss the significance of the concept of effective temperature in this context and show how thermodynamic inference provides a unifying comprehensive picture in several nonequilibrium problems
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