Dynamic renormalization in the framework of nonequilibrium thermodynamics

We show how the dynamic renormalization of nonequilibrium systems can be carried out within the general framework of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Whereas the renormalization of Hamiltonians is well known from equilibrium thermodynamics, the renormalization of dissipative brackets, or friction matrices, is the main new feature for nonequilibrium systems. Renormalization is a reduction rather than a coarse-graining technique; that is, no new dissipative processes arise in the dynamic renormalization procedure. The general ideas are illustrated for dilute polymer solutions where, in renormalizing bead-spring chain models, dissipative hydrodynamic interactions between different smaller beads contribute to the friction coefficient of a single larger bead.