Shannon information increase and rescue in friction

Abstract

On the standard microscopic model of friction we confirm the common belief that the irreversible entropy production originates from the increase of Shannon information. We reveal that the reversible microscopic dynamics would continuously violate the Gibbsian interchangeability of molecules. The spontaneous restoration of interchangeability constitutes the mechanism of irreversibility. This is the main suggestion of the Letter. We also point out that the irreversible entropy can partially be rescued if the size of the medium is finite. The rescueable entropy is found to be proportional to the square of the Fisher statistical (also called thermodynamic) distance.