Small systems warm up faster than the cool down

by Dr Aljaz Godec (Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry)

Tuesday 3 Nov 2020, 14:00 → 16:00 Europe/Stockholm

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https://stockholmuniversity.zoom.us/j/622224375

Meeting ID: 622 224 375

 

The celebrated laws of linear irreversible thermodynamics dictate that the relaxation of an extensive thermodynamic observable to its equilibrium value depends linearly on the departure from equilibrium, and is therefore independent of the direction of the departure. However, these linear laws rely on the assumption of "local thermodynamic equilibrium" which is expected to break down when systems become sufficiently small. It turns out that the relaxation of nano-scale systems driven out of equilibrium by a rapid change in temperature depends not only on the distance but also on the direction from thermodynamic equilibrium. Counter to our intuition nano-scale systems in fact warm up faster than they cool down. In the talk I will explain the physical origin of this intriguing asymmetry in relaxation to equilibrium and its its implications for the performance of Brownian heat engines.

Reference: Alessio Lapolla & AG, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 110602 (2020)

 

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