Jarzynski equality for a gas particle driven out of equilibrium

Abstract

One particle in a classical perfect gas is driven out of equilibrium by changing its mass over a short time interval. The work done on the driven particle depends on its collisions with the other particles in the gas. This model thus provides an example of a non-equilibrium process in a system (the driven particle) coupled to an environment (the rest of the gas). We calculate the work done on the driven particle and compare the results to Jarzynski's equality relating a non-equilibrium work process to an equilibrium free-energy difference. The results for this model are generalised to the case of a system that is driven in one degree of freedom while interacting with the environment through other degrees of freedom.