On the local space-time structure of non-equilibrium steady states

Abstract

We consider the Gibbs representation over space-time of non-equilibrium dynamics of Hamiltonian systems defined on a lattice with local interactions. We first write the corresponding action functional as a sum of local terms, defining a local action functional. We replace the local system by a translation-invariant system whose dynamics has an identical space-time characterization. We study in details the irreversible properties of the new dynamics, define the local conductivity and show its equivalence with the Green-Kubo formula. Given the definition of the local heat conductivity and using conservation of energy, we derive the shape of the temperature profile. Next, we find an explicit formula for the non-equilibrium stationary measure of harmonic systems. Finally, we apply our scheme to various approximations of anharmonic Hamiltonian models, show how to compute their thermal conductivity and recover results confirmed in numerical simulations.