RESPONSE THEORY ANALYSIS OF A THERMODYNAMIC TEMPERATURE QUENCH

Nonlinear response theory is used to describe an impulsive temperature quench of arbitrary magnitude. This approach enables us to define the applied field and the conjugate dissipative flux, appropriate to temp erature quenches. An exact transient time correlation function express ion is given which may be used to calculate the response of an arbitra ry phase function to a temperature quench. This expression is tested i n computer simulations and found to be consistent with the observed re sponse.