Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: In this Perspective article, we introduce a new framework for the global non-equilibrium thermodynamics of stationary states. This theory uses the spatial distributions of temperature, density, velocity, and other variables in stationary states as its input. It outputs the global state parameters to describe the system's energy exchange with the environment. The number of state parameters is determined solely by the type of substance in the system and external potentials, regardless of the number of boundary conditions, fluxes within the system, or its specific geometry. The theory offers a second law of non-equilibrium thermodynamics for stationary states, predicting the direction of spontaneous processes between them. When all macroscopic fluxes reach zero, the theory reduces to equilibrium thermodynamics.
Source: Europhysics Letters (EPL)
Institutions: Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $1,805
OpenAlex ID: W4405587523