From billiards to thermodynamics
  We explore some beginning steps in stochastic thermodynamics of billiard-like mechanical systems by introducing extremely simple and explicit random mechanical processes capable of exhibiting steady-state irreversible thermodynamical behavior. In particular, we describe a Markov chain model of a minimalistic heat engine and numerically study its operation and efficiency. 
Timothy Chumley, Scott Cook, Renato Feres
math-ph math.MP math.PR