Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
11:03
An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Fluctuation corrections to thermodynamic functions: finite-size effects
Sudarson Sekhar Sinha1, Arnab Ghosh, Deb Shankar Ray
1Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India.
Summary
This study determines the specific heat of a spin system with dissipation. Specific heat depends on thermal factors and dynamical corrections, showing abrupt transitions with temperature changes.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Quantum Mechanics
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Understanding thermodynamic properties of quantum systems is crucial.
- Dissipation effects in spin systems are complex and require detailed investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine explicit thermodynamic functions, specifically specific heat, for a spin system interacting with a dissipative spin bath.
- To analyze the temperature dependence and dynamical factors influencing specific heat.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical determination of thermodynamic functions.
- Analysis of spin systems interacting with a spin bath exhibiting finite dissipation.
Main Results:
- Specific heat is found to be a product of a temperature-dependent thermal equilibration factor and a dynamical correction factor.
- The dynamical correction factor characterizes steady-state dissipative energy flow.
- Abrupt transitions in specific heat variation with temperature are observed, dependent on dynamical factors and system size.
Conclusions:
- The specific heat of dissipative spin systems exhibits complex behavior influenced by both thermal and dynamical properties.
- Finite system size and dissipation play critical roles in determining the observed thermodynamic transitions.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Calculation of First-Law Quantities II
The first law of thermodynamics establishes that the change in internal energy of a system is given by ΔU = q + w, where q is the heat exchanged, and w is the work performed. For a perfect gas, both internal energy (U) and enthalpy (H) depend solely on temperature. Consequently, for any change of state, whether reversible or irreversible, the internal energy change is determined by integrating the heat capacity at constant volume, and the enthalpy change by integrating the heat capacity at...
01:25Calculation of First Law Quantities I
Thermodynamic systems undergoing phase transitions or temperature changes experience energy transfer in the form of heat (q) and work (w). For a reversible phase change at constant temperature (T) and pressure (p), the process involves no chemical reaction but results in energy exchange between distinct phases.The heat transferred during this process corresponds to the latent heat of transition, which is the amount of heat energy absorbed or released by a substance when it changes from one...
01:21Entropy Changes Accompanying Specific Processes
Entropy, a measure of disorder in a system, changes during phase transitions like freezing or boiling. At the transition temperature Ttrs, where two phases are in equilibrium, the phase transition is a reversible process. The entropy change can be calculated from a substance's enthalpy of transition using the equation ΔStrs = ΔtrsH /Ttrs.When a perfect gas expands isothermally from one volume to another, entropy increases logarithmically with volume. Conversely, isothermal compression results...
04:01Real Gases: Effects of Intermolecular Forces and Molecular Volume Deriving Van der Waals Equation
Thus far, the ideal gas law, PV = nRT, has been applied to a variety of different types of problems, ranging from reaction stoichiometry and empirical and molecular formula problems to determining the density and molar mass of a gas. However, the behavior of a gas is often non-ideal, meaning that the observed relationships between its pressure, volume, and temperature are not accurately described by the gas laws.
01:22Limits of the First Law of Thermodynamics
Spontaneous processes, like a rock falling to the ground or sodium reacting with chlorine, occur without external work and often involve a decrease in the system‘s energy. However, certain endothermic processes, such as the dissolution of sodium chloride in water, occur spontaneously even though they increase the energy of the system. This limitation suggests that the First Law of Thermodynamics, which states that the total energy of a system is constant in an isolated system, cannot fully...
01:26Thermodynamic Potentials
Thermodynamic potentials are state functions that are extremely useful in analyzing a thermodynamic system. They have dimensions of energy. The four important thermodynamic potentials are internal energy, enthalpy, Helmholtz free energy, and Gibbs free energy. These thermodynamic potentials can be expressed using two of the following variables: pressure, volume, temperature, and entropy. These two variables are expressed as the rate of change of the thermodynamic potential with respect to other...