Giovanni Jona-Lasinio, Sapienza University of Rome

Towards a non-equilibrium thermodynamics: macroscopic fluctuation theory – Part II

Far from equilibrium behavior is ubiquitous. Indeed most of the processes that characterize energy flow occur far from equilibrium. These range from very large systems, such as weather patterns or ocean currents that remain far from equilibrium owing to an influx of energy, to biological structures. Away-from-equilibrium processes occur on time scales ranging from nanoseconds to millennia. Despite the pervasiveness of non-equilibrium systems and processes, our current understanding is far from complete. The macroscopic fluctuation theory deals with diffusive systems for which provides natural non-equilibrium thermodynamic functionals whose singularities are associated with phase transitions. It is based on a single formula for the probability of joint fluctuations of thermodynamic variables and currents and its properties under time reversal. It has been tested in models exactly solvable. These lectures will cover some general principles, predictions and applications, in particular phase transitions typical of non-equilibrium and thermodynamic transformations between stationary states.