Review article: Large fluctuations in non-equilibrium physics

Jona-Lasinio, Giovanni

doi:10.5194/npg-30-253-2023

Articles | Volume 30, issue 2

https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-253-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-253-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 30, issue 2

Review article

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30 Jun 2023

Review article | Highlight paper |

| 30 Jun 2023

Review article: Large fluctuations in non-equilibrium physics

Giovanni Jona-Lasinio

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Final revised paper (published on 30 Jun 2023)
Preprint (discussion started on 15 Nov 2022)

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1192', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 Nov 2022

This is a very clear and nice review of works done over the last 20 years. I think it should be published as it is.

I found only very few misprints :

line 69 applicaton -> application

line 200 J(rho(t) -> J(rho(t))

line 232 e phenomenon -> a phenomenon

line 293-294 there is an unnecessary break

Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1192-RC1
RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1192', Valerio Lucarini, 07 Feb 2023

The paper by G. Jona-Lasinio present a succinct and most useful summary of recent development in large deviation theory for nonequilibrium systems. It is well-written and very clear. This contribution can and will provide inspiration for scientists across the whole spectrum of geosciences. I am including in the .pdf file some friendly comments that are aimed at either encouraging the author to clarify some part of the text for the reader who is less familiar with the topic, or suggesting some geophysical context to the concepts and ideas presented in the article.
Valerio Lucarini

Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1192-RC2
AC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1192', Gianni Jona-Lasinio, 15 Mar 2023

As far as the first anonymous referee is concerned I have nothing to say as he recommends publication of my paper
To the second referee, Valerio Lucarini, my answers to his remarks are
Line 26 - reaction-diffusion systems - please tell me which you consider the relevant references to add to the bibliography
Line 52 - local equilibrium - I will add the reference to Ghil and Lucarini 2020

where local equilibrium is not mentioned explicitely but is implied in several discussions
Line 102 - $F_{0}$ is the equilibrium free energy which is different for different systems
Line 119 - non--equilibrium is due to both the external field and the boundary conditions
Line 124 - the chemical potential in most of the models considered describes the interaction with the external reservoirs according to eq. (7)
Line 146 - the quantity $\epsilon^{-d}$ is extensive in space. A factor extensive in time appears in fluctuations of time averaged quantities.
Line 169 - this formulation represents at the mesoscopic level a form of detailed balance in non--equilibrium
Line 180 - I will add the definition of the Lagrangian
Line 188 - I will add a reference
Line 202 - this is the energy dissipated by the fluctuation, not the total dissipated energy
Line 224 - to which intermediate points and constraints are you referring?
Line 235 - Summable with respect to space variables. I will add a comment on the analogy with critical phenomena
Line 241 - I will add a reference
Line 261 - The effect of long range correlations is that local thermodynamic variables are not independent at macroscopic distances
Line 294 - no, Q is the amount of particles through the origin which in an interval of time t for a diffusion process is of the order of square root of t.
Line 345 - ok. Which references would you like to be mentioned, those of Line 26 ?

Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1192-AC1

Peer review completion

AR – Author's response | RR – Referee report | ED – Editor decision | EF – Editorial file upload

AR by Gianni Jona-Lasinio on behalf of the Authors (24 Apr 2023) Author's response Author's tracked changes Manuscript

ED: Publish as is (25 Apr 2023) by Vera Melinda Galfi

AR by Gianni Jona-Lasinio on behalf of the Authors (15 May 2023) Manuscript

Short summary

Non-equilibrium is dominant in geophysical and climate phenomena. Most of the processes that characterize energy flow occur far from equilibrium. These range from very large systems, such as weather patterns or ocean currents that remain far from equilibrium, owing to an influx of energy, to biological structures. In the last decades, progress in non-equilibrium physics has come from the study of very rare fluctuations, and this paper provides an introduction to these theoretical developments.