MOYAL MEDALLIST AND LECTURE 2004
The 2004 Moyal Medallist is Professor Denis Evans, of the Research School of Chemistry at the Australian National University. Professor Evans will deliver the 2004 Moyal Lecture:
Friday 22 October 2004 at 7 pm
Macquarie University -- Lecture Theatre E6A 102
THE FLUCTUATION THEOREM
Abstract:
In 1993 we discovered a relation, subsequently known as the Fluctuation Theorem, which gives an analytical expression for the probability of observing Second Law violating dynamical fluctuations in small thermostatted nonequilibrium systems which are observed for a short period of time. This theorem places quantitative restrictions on the operation of small (nano) machines and devices. These constraints cannot be circumvented. Quantitative predictions made by the Fluctuation Theorem regarding the probability of Second Law violations have been confirmed experimentally, both using molecular dynamics computer simulation and very recently in two laboratory experiments which employed optical tweezers. In this talk we give a brief summary of the theory and a description of the experiments.