Fluctuation Theorem and Chaos
arXiv:0802.3694 · doi:10.1140/epjb/e2008-00137-6
Abstract
The heat theorem (i.e. the second law of thermodynamics or the existence of entropy) is a manifestation of a general property of hamiltonian mechanics and of the ergodic Hypothesis. In nonequilibrium thermodynamics of stationary states the chaotic hypothesis plays a similar role: it allows a unique determination of the probability distribution (called {\rm SRB} distribution on phase space providing the time averages of the observables. It also implies an expression for a few averages concrete enough to derive consequences of symmetry properties like the fluctuation theorem or to formulate a theory of coarse graining unifying the foundations of equilibrium and of nonequilibrium.
Basis for the plenary talk at StatPhys23 (Genova July 2007)