Stochastic Thermodynamics of the Piston System

Zongping Gong, Yueheng Lan, H. T. Quan

Published 2016-02-28Version 1

The piston system is the simplest model in traditional thermodynamics. However the recently established framework of stochastic thermodynamics (ST) fails to apply to this model system due to the embedded singularity in the potential. In this Letter we study the stochastic thermodynamics in a piston system by adopting a novel coordinate transformation technique. Through comparing with the exact solution of a breathing harmonic oscillator, we obtain analytical results of work distribution for an arbitrary protocol in the linear response regime, and verify various predictions of the Fluctuation-Dissipation theorem. When applying to the Brownian Szilard's engine model, we obtain the optimal protocol $\lambda_t = \lambda_0 2^{t/\tau}$ for a given sufficiently long total time $\tau$. Our study not only establishes a paradigm for studying ST of the isothermal piston system, but also bridges the long-standing gap in the development of ST.