Entropy production and thermodynamic inference for stochastic microswimmers

The question of characterization of the degree of nonequilibrium activity in active matter systems is studied in the context of a stochastic microswimmer model driven by a chemical cycle. The resulting dynamical properties and entropy production rate unravel a complex interplay between the chemical and the hydrodynamic degrees of freedom beyond linear response, which is not captured by conventional phenomenological approaches. By studying the precision-dissipation trade off, a new protocol is proposed in which microscopic chemical driving forces can be inferred experimentally. Our findings highlight subtleties associated with the stochastic thermodynamics of autonomous microswimmers.