The spontaneous division of space in Fleming-Viot processes is studied in terms of nonextensive thermodynamics. We analyze a system of $n$ different types of Brownian particles confined in a box. Particles of different types annihilate each other when they come into close contact. Each process of annihilation is accompanied by a simultaneous nucleation of a particle of the same type, so that the number of particles of each component remains constant. The system eventually reaches a stationary state, in which the available space is divided into $n$ separate subregions, each occupied by particles of one type. Within each subregion, the particle density distribution minimizes the Renyi entropy production. We show that the sum of these entropy productions in the stationary state is also minimized, i.e., the resulting boundaries between different components adopt a configuration which minimizes the total entropy production. The evolution of the system leads to decreasing of the total entropy production monotonically in time, irrespective of the initial conditions. In some circumstances, the stationary state is not unique—the entropy production may have several local minima for different configurations. In the case of a rectangular box, the existence and stability of different stationary states are studied as a function of the aspect ratio of the rectangle.

• Received 13 December 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.71.046130