Asymptotics of work distributions in non-equilibrium systems

The asymptotic behaviour of the work probability distribution in driven non-equilibrium systems is determined using the method of optimal fluctuations. For systems described by Langevin dynamics the corresponding Euler-Lagrange equation together with the appropriate boundary conditions and an equation for the leading pre-exponential factor are derived. The method is applied to three representative examples and the results are used to improve the accuracy of free energy estimates based on the application of the Jarzynski equation.