title: Dynamic mean-field models from a nonequilibrium thermodynamics perspective.
abstract: Complicated dynamic models are often approximated by introducing mean-field approximations and closures. The focus here is on examining such mean-field models using nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Two illustrative examples are studied in terms of the double-generator general equation for the nonequilibrium reversible-irreversible coupling (GENERIC) framework. First, it is shown that a model for the coil-stretch transition of long chains in strong elongation flows as proposed by de Gennes is thermodynamically admissible. In the second example, we study a Gaussian approximation, which is used to simplify the effect of hydrodynamic interactions in polymer solutions. This approximation, which is known to be in conflict with the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, is identified as defective directly when formulated in the thermodynamic formalism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, Institute of Polymers, ETH-Zürich, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland. mhuetter@mit.edu
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hütter
authors.forename: Iliya V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Karlin
authors.forename: Hans Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ottinger