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Work done on a single-particle gas during an adiabatic compression and expansion process
Carlos E Álvarez1, Nicolás Afanador1, Gabriel Téllez2
1Departamento de Matemáticas Aplicadas y Ciencias de la Computación, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
Physical Review. E
|November 28, 2019
Summary
This study analyzes work done on a single-particle gas during adiabatic processes. Ergodicity breaking causes irreversibility, but specific initial conditions can prevent net energy transfer.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Statistical Mechanics
- Non-equilibrium Systems
Background:
- Understanding work done in thermodynamic processes is crucial for energy transfer analysis.
- Adiabatic processes are fundamental in thermodynamics, involving no heat exchange.
- Irreversibility in physical systems arises from factors like ergodicity breaking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compute the average work done by an external agent on a single-particle gas during adiabatic compression and expansion.
- To derive an analytical expression for piston-particle collisions during the process.
- To identify the source of irreversibility and explore conditions to prevent net energy transfer.
Main Methods:
- Analytical derivation of work done.
- Calculation of piston-particle collision frequency.
- Analysis of ergodicity breaking and its impact on irreversibility.
- Investigation of initial state distributions for energy transfer control.
Main Results:
- An analytical expression relating piston-particle collisions to piston position was obtained.
- Ergodicity breaking was identified as the cause of irreversibility in the adiabatic process.
- It was demonstrated that specific initial particle distributions can prevent net energy transfer from the agent.
Conclusions:
- The work done during adiabatic processes in a single-particle gas is quantifiable.
- Ergodicity breaking is a key factor driving irreversibility, impacting energy transfer dynamics.
- Control over initial conditions offers a pathway to manage energy flow in driven thermodynamic systems.
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