Free-energy transduction within autonomous systems

The excess work required to drive a stochastic system out of thermodynamic equilibrium through time-dependent external perturbation is directly related the amount entropy produced during driving process, allowing and production be used interchangeably quantify dissipation. Given common intuition biological molecular machines as internally communicating between components, it tempting extend this correspondence one component an autonomous by another; however, no such relation internal exists. Here we introduce `transduced additional free energy rate' strongly coupled subsystems system, that analogous power in systems driven control parameter receives feedback from system. We prove relevant measure dissipation -- equals steady-state rate due downstream subsystem demonstrate its advantages with simple model