Backward and covariant Lyapunov vectors and exponents for hard-disk systems with a steady heat current.

The covariant Lyapunov analysis is generalized to systems attached to deterministic thermal reservoirs that create a heat current across the system and perturb it away from equilibrium. The change in the Lyapunov exponents as a function of heat current is described and explained. Both the nonequilibrium backward and covariant hydrodynamic Lyapunov modes are analyzed and compared. The movement of the converged angle between the hydrodynamic stable and unstable conjugate manifolds with the free flight time of the dynamics is accurately predicted for any nonequilibrium system simply as a function of their exponent. The nonequilibrium positive and negative LP mode frequencies are found to be asymmetrical, causing the negative mode to oscillate between the two functional forms of each mode in the positive conjugate mode pair. This in turn leads to the angular distributions between the conjugate modes to oscillate symmetrically about π/2 at a rate given by the difference between the positive and negative mode frequencies.