Thermodynamic work of partial resetting

AbstractPartial resetting, whereby a state variablex(t) is reset at random times to a valueax(t),0⩽a⩽1, generalizes conventional resetting by introducing the resetting strengthaas a parameter. Partial resetting generates a broad family of non-equilibrium steady states (NESS) that interpolates between the conventional NESS at strong resetting (a = 0) and a Gaussian distribution at weak resetting (a → 1). Here such resetting processes are studied from a thermodynamic perspective, and the mean cost associated with maintaining such NESS are derived. The resetting phase of the dynamics is implemented by a resetting potentialΦ(x)that mediates the resets in finite time. By working in an ensemble of trajectories with a fixed number of resets, we study both the steady-state properties of the propagator and its moments. The thermodynamic work needed to sustain the resulting NESS is then investigated. We find that different resetting traps can give rise to rates of work with widely different dependencies on the resetting strengtha. Surprisingly, in the case of resets mediated by a harmonic trap with otherwise free diffusive motion, the asymptotic rate of work is insensitive to the value ofa. For general anharmonic traps, the asymptotic rate of work can be either increasing or decreasing as a function of the strengtha, depending on the degree of anharmonicity. Counter to intuition, the rate of work can therefore in some cases increase as the resetting becomes weaker(a→1)although the work vanishes ata = 1. Work in the presence of a background potential is also considered. Numerical simulations confirm our findings.