  The first-passage time is proposed as an independent thermodynamic parameter
of the statistical distribution that generalizes the Gibbs distribution. The
theory does not include the determination of the first passage statistics
itself. A random process is set that describes a physical phenomenon. The first
passage statistics is determined from this random process. The thermodynamic
parameter conjugated to the first-passage time is the same as the Laplace
transform parameter of the first-passage time distribution in the partition
function. The corresponding partition function is divided into multipliers, one
of which is associated with the equilibrium parameters, and the second one -
with the parameters of the first-passage time distribution. The thermodynamic
parameter conjugated to the first-passage time can be expressed in terms of the
deviation of the entropy from the equilibrium value. Thus, all moments of the
distribution of the first passage time are expressed in terms of the deviation
of the entropy from its equilibrium value and the external forces acting on the
system. By changing the thermodynamic forces, it is possible to change the
first passage time.
