2016/02/29 by Ralph V. Chamberlin, Sumiyoshi Abe, Bryce F. Davis +3
Mathematics · Neuroscience · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Algorithm #Computation #Computer science #Constant (computer programming) #Density matrix #Entropy (arrow of time) #Mathematics #Matrix (chemical analysis) #Neural dynamics and brain function #Noise (video) #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Spectral density #Statistical physics #White noise #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.stat-mech #physics.comp-ph #stochastic dynamics and bifurcation
paper · pdf · doi:10.1140/epjb/e2016-70242-0
published as Eur. Phys. J. B 89, 185 (2016) · 16 pages, 4 figures
openalex publication_date 2016/09/01 · arxiv created 2016/09/11 · arxiv updated 2016/09/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Here we present a model for a small system combined with an explicit entropy bath that is comparably small. The dynamics of the model is defined by a simple matrix, M. Each row of M corresponds to a macrostate of the system, e.g. net alignment, while the elements in the row represent microstates. The constant number of elements in each row ensures constant entropy, which allows reversible fluctuations, similar to information theory where a constant number of bits allows reversible computations. Many elements in M come from the microstates of the system, but many others come from the bath. Bypassing the bath states yields fluctuations that exhibit standard white noise; whereas with bath states the power spectral density varies as S(f)~1/f over a wide range of frequencies, f. Thus, the explicit entropy bath is the mechanism of 1/f noise in this model. Both forms of the model match Crooks' fluctuation theorem exactly, indicating that the theorem applies not only to infinite reservoirs, but also to finite-sized baths. The model is used to analyze measurements of 1/f-like noise from a sub-micron tunnel junction.