title: Realm of validity of the Crooks relation.
abstract: We consider the distribution P(Φ) of the Hatano-Sasa entropy, Φ, in reversible and irreversible processes, finding that the Crooks relation for the ratio of the probability density functions of the forward and backward processes, P(F)(Φ)/P(R)(-Φ)=e(Φ), is satisfied not only for reversible, but also for irreversible processes, in general, in the adiabatic limit of "slow processes." Focusing on systems with a finite set of discrete states (and no absorbing states), we observe that two-state systems always fulfill detailed balance, and obey the Crooks relation. We also identify a wide class of systems, with more than two states, that can be "coarse grained" into two-state systems and obey the Crooks relation despite their irreversibility and violation of detailed balance. We verify these results in selected cases numerically.
authors: Department of Physics, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699-5820, USA.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: ben-Avraham
authors: Sven
authors: S
authors: Dorosz
authors: Michel
authors: M
authors: Pleimling