Abstract
Physical scenarios that require a relativistic treatment are ubiquitous in nature, ranging from cosmological objects to charge carriers in Dirac materials. Interestingly all of these situations have in common that the systems typically operate very far from thermal equilibrium. Therefore, if and how the framework of stochastic thermodynamics applies at relativistic energies is a salient question. In the present work we generalize the notions of stochastic heat and work for the relativistic Langevin equation and derive the fluctuation theorems without and with feedback. For processes with feedback we consider the ramifications of the lack of simultaneity of events in the inertial frames of observer and Brownian particles, and we argue that the framework of absolute irreversibility is instrumental to avoid acausal considerations. The analysis is concluded with a few remarks on potential experimental applications in graphene.
Highlights
The Universe is full of objects that defy the common anthropocentric understanding of nature
For processes with feedback we consider the ramifications of the lack of simultaneity of events in the inertial frames of observer and Brownian particles, and we argue that the framework of absolute irreversibility is instrumental to avoid acausal considerations
In the present analysis we have comprehensively shown how the framework of stochastic thermodynamics applies to Brownian motion at relativistic energies
Summary
Department of Physics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States of America 1 Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed. Keywords: stochastic thermodynamics, relativistic Brownian motion, fluctuation theorems, relativistic Maxwell’s demon
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