Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 010601 (2009) [4 pages]Nonequilibrium Steady-State Fluctuations in Actively Cooled ResonatorsReceived 26 January 2009; published 2 July 2009 We analyze heat and work fluctuations in the gravitational wave detector AURIGA, modeled as a macroscopic electromechanical oscillator in contact with a thermostat and cooled by an active feedback system. The oscillator is driven to a steady state by the feedback cooling, equivalent to a viscous force. The experimentally measured fluctuations are in agreement with our theoretical analysis based on a stochastically driven Langevin system. The asymmetry of the fluctuations of the absorbed heat characterizes the oscillator’s nonequilibrium steady state and reveals the extent to which a feedback cooled system departs from equilibrium in a statistical mechanics perspective. © 2009 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.010601
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.010601
PACS:
05.40.−a, 04.80.Nn, 05.70.−a, 85.85.+j
|
|
About | Terms and Conditions | Subscriptions | Search | Help
Use of the American Physical Society websites and journals implies that the user has read and agrees to our Terms and Conditions and any applicable Subscription Agreement. Physical Review®, Physical Review Letters®, Reviews of Modern Physics®, and Physical Review Special Topics® are trademarks of the American Physical Society.