Path integral analysis of Jarzynski's equality: Analytical results
arXiv:0812.0109 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.79.021122
Abstract
We apply path integrals to study nonequilibrium work theorems in the context of Brownian dynamics, deriving in particular the equations of motion governing the most typical and most dominant trajectories. For the analytically soluble cases of a moving harmonic potential and a harmonic oscillator with time-dependent natural frequency, we find such trajectories, evaluate the work-weighted propagators, and validate Jarzynski's equality.
10 pages, 1 figure