Cooling dynamics of a Brownian particle and the Markovian Mpemba effect

Synopsis

I investigate a Mpemba-like behaviour in a colloidal particle diffusing in a bath with an externally applied potential. A Markovian model is used to describe the motion of the particle. As a temperature quench is applied, the temperature of the particle becomes transiently undefined under classical description and we must use an alternative measure for the degree of cooling. I experimentally and numerically test a theoretical prediction of the Markovian Mpemba effect, showing that it occurs in a real system. I demonstrate that probability distributions can be estimated using a limited amount of data at high-enough accuracy to permit experimental observation of the Markovian Mpemba effect.

Keywords: Markov Process; Mpemba effect; stochastic thermodynamics