Non-equilibrium thermodynamics of stochastic systems with odd and even variables

Richard E. Spinney, Ian J. Ford

Published 2012-01-04, updated 2012-02-10Version 2

The total entropy production of stochastic systems can be divided into three quantities. The first corresponds to the excess heat, whilst the second two comprise the house-keeping heat. We denote these two components the transient and generalised house-keeping heat and we obtain an integral fluctuation theorem for the latter, valid for all Markovian stochastic dynamics. A previously reported formalism is obtained when the stationary probability distribution is symmetric for all variables that are odd under time reversal which restricts consideration of directional variables such as velocity.