Work and heat probability distribution of an optically driven Brownian particle: theory and experiments.
We analyze the equations governing the evolution of distributions of the work and the heat exchanged with the environment by a manipulated stochastic system, by means of a compact and general derivation. We obtain explicit solutions for these equations for the case of a dragged Brownian particle in a harmonic potential. We successfully compare the resulting predictions with the outcomes of experiments, consisting of dragging a micron-sized colloidal particle through water with a laser trap.
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Dipartimento di Fisica and CNISM, INFN Sezione di Torino, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10121 Torino, Italy.
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