Physics of Shadows: Thermodynamic implications of memory in low-dimensional observables

Aljaz Godec

Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry 
Göttingen (Germany)

Wed, January 12, 2022 - 4:00 PM
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Modern single-molecule experiments and computer simulations track effective, low-dimensional “reaction coordinates” projected from the full system phase space as a function of time. Examples are distances between fluorescent labels in FRET spectroscopy, molecular extensions in single-molecule force spectroscopy, or internal distance-coordinates and other coarse-grained observables in molecular dynamics simulations. It is well known that projections induce memory in the observed dynamics. However, we are only beginning to understand the implications of memory for (stochastic) thermodynamics, in particular in systems that are driven far from thermodynamic equilibrium. In the talk I will review our recent efforts on how to quantify and understand memory on the one hand, and how to describe and interpret dissipation (a.k.a. irreversibility) on the other hand, in systems where (not necessarily slow) degrees of freedom are ignored.

[1] A. Lapolla and AG, Manifestations of projection-induced memory: general theory and the tilted single file. Front. Phys. 7, 182 (2019)
[2] A. Lapolla & AG, A toolbox for quantifying memory in dynamics along reaction coordinates. Phys. Rev. Research 3, L022018 (2021)
[3] A. Lapolla & AG, Faster uphill relaxation in thermodynamically equidistant temperature quenches. Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 110602 (2020)
[4] D. Hartich & AG, Thermodynamic uncertainty relation bounds the extent of anomalous diffusion. Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 080601 (2021)
[5] D. Hartich & AG, Emergent memory and kinetic hysteresis in strongly driven networks. Phys. Rev. X 11, 041047 (2021)
[6] D. Hartich & AG, Violation of local detailed balance despite a clear time-scale separation. arXiv:2111.14734 (2021)

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