Abstract
This note analyzes the physical basis of J.R. England’s paper “Statistical physics of self-replication.” [J. Chem. Phys. 139, 121923 (2013)]. We follow England’s use of time-reversal symmetry but replace stochastic by deterministic dynamics, and introduce a definition of metastable states based on equilibrium statistical mechanics. We rederive England’s detailed balance relation and obtain another similar relation which appears more natural and remains valid for quantum systems. The detailed balance relations are based on serious physical ideas, and either of them can be used for England’s biological discussion. This biological discussion does of course deserve further scrutiny.
This article is supplemented with comments by P. Gaspard.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
G.E. Crooks, Phys. Rev. E 60, 2721 (1999)
S.R. de Groot, P. Mazur, Nonequilibrium thermodynamics (Dover, New York, 1984)
J.L. England, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 121923 (2013)
G. Gallavotti, Nonequilibrium and Irreversibility (Springer, Cham, 2014)
J.L. Lebowitz, Physics Today 46, No. 9
R. Marsland, J. England, Thermodynamic expression for non equilibrium steady-state distribution of macroscopic observables [arXiv:1501.00238] (2015)
N. Perunov, R. Marsland, J. England, Statistical Physics of Adaptation [arXiv:1412.1875] (2014)
D. Ruelle, Statistical Mechanics, Rigorous Results (Benjamin, New York, 1969)
D. Ruelle, J. Statist. Phys. 95, 393 (1999)
D. Ruelle, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 100, 3054 (2003)
References
D.T. Haynie, Biological Thermodynamics (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, 2001)
A. Katchalsky, P.F. Curran, Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics in Biophysics (Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA, 1965)
T.L. Hill, Free Energy Transduction and Biochemical Cycle Kinetics (Dover, New York, 2005)
E.P. Wigner, J. Chem. Phys. 22, 1912 (1954)
S.R. de Groot, P. Mazur, Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics (Dover, New York, 1984)
N.G. van Kampen, Stochastic Processes in Physics and Chemistry (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1981)
G.E. Crooks, J. Stat. Phys. 90, 1481 (1998)
G.E. Crooks, Phys. Rev. E 60, 2721 (1999)
D. Andrieux, P. Gaspard, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 9516 (2008)
C. Jarzynski, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 9451 (2008)
J.L. England, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 121923 (2013)
D. Ruelle, Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 224(5), 935 (2015)
E. Wigner, Trans. Faraday Soc. 34, 29 (1938)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ruelle, D. Biology and nonequilibrium: Remarks on a paper by J.L. England. Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 224, 935–945 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2015-02437-4
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2015-02437-4