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Nonequilibrium stationary states and entropy.
1Department of Mathematics, Rutgers University, 110 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA. gallavotti@roma1.infn.it
Summary
Entropy in nonequilibrium stationary states may lack physical meaning, similar to heat content in equilibrium transformations. This suggests entropy is transferable or created, not an intrinsic system property.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Statistical Mechanics
- Non-equilibrium Systems
Background:
- Entropy is a fundamental concept in equilibrium thermodynamics.
- Defining entropy in non-equilibrium stationary states (NESS) presents theoretical challenges.
- Analogies with equilibrium transformations involving mechanical work are explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physical meaning of entropy in NESS.
- To determine if entropy can be considered an intrinsic property of a system in NESS.
- To draw parallels between entropy in NESS and heat content in equilibrium.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of thermodynamic transformations.
- Analogical reasoning between equilibrium and non-equilibrium processes.
- Theoretical conjecture based on existing thermodynamic principles.
Main Results:
- Entropy may not be a well-defined concept in transformations between NESS.
- The concept of entropy in NESS might be analogous to 'heat content' in equilibrium transformations that involve mechanical work.
- Entropy in NESS could be a transferable or created quantity, not a system property.
Conclusions:
- Conjecture that entropy in NESS lacks the status of an 'entropy content' property.
- Entropy in NESS functions similarly to heat in equilibrium—a quantity that can be transferred or created.
- This challenges the conventional view of entropy as a state function in non-equilibrium contexts.