Norton, John D. (2016) Thermodynamically Reversible Processes in Statistical Physics. [Preprint]
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Abstract
Equilibrium states are used as limit states to define thermodynamically reversible processes. When these processes are implemented in statistical physics, these limit states become unstable and can change with time, due to thermal fluctuations. For macroscopic systems, the changes are insignificant on ordinary time scales and what little there is can be suppressed by macroscopically negligible, entropy-creating dissipation. For systems of molecular sizes, the changes are large on short time scales and can only sometimes be suppressed with significant entropy-creating dissipation. As a result, at molecular scales, thermodynamically reversible processes are impossible in principle. Unlike the macroscopic case, they cannot be realized even approximately, when we account for all sources of dissipation.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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| Additional Information: | Includes an appendix not in the journal version on processes with a Brownian particle. | ||||||
| Keywords: | entropy reversible process | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Models and Idealization Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics |
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| Depositing User: | John Norton | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 16 Jun 2016 12:35 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 16 Jun 2016 12:35 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 12202 | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Models and Idealization Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics |
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| Date: | 15 June 2016 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12202 |
Available Versions of this Item
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Thermodynamically Reversible Processes in Statistical Physics (Extended Version). (deposited 18 Mar 2016 02:48)
- Thermodynamically Reversible Processes in Statistical Physics. (deposited 16 Jun 2016 12:35) [Currently Displayed]
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