Browsing All Posts filed under »Statistical Mechanics«

Video: Entropy in the kitchen

February 4, 2012

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http://youtu.be/9R1OX4fZqKY Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk

Toward a fully relativistic theory of quantum information

December 9, 2011

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Christoph Adami Information theory is a statistical theory dealing with the relative state of detectors and physical systems. Because of this physicality of information, the classical framework of Shannon needs to be extended to deal with quantum detectors, perhaps moving at relativistic speeds, or even within curved space-time. Considerable progress toward such a theory has… [Read more…]

Sean Carroll: The Arrow of Time feat

November 14, 2011

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MinutePhysics Why is the past different from the future? Caltech physicist Sean Carroll explains how the arrow of time is not an intrinsic property of physics, but rather an emergent feature. http://youtu.be/GdTMuivYF30

New Thermodynamic Paradigm of Chemical Equilibria

October 31, 2011

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B. Zilbergleyt The paper presents new thermodynamic paradigm of chemical equilibrium, setting forth comprehensive basics of Discrete Thermodynamics of Chemical Equilibria (DTd). Along with previous results by the author during the last decade, this work contains also some new developments of DTd. Based on the Onsager’s constitutive equations, reformulated by the author thermodynamic affinity and… [Read more…]

Maxwell’s Demon and Data Compression

October 24, 2011

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Akio Hosoya , Koji Maruyama , Yutaka Shikano In an asymmetric Szilard engine model of Maxwell’s demon, we show the equivalence between information theoretical and thermodynamic entropies when the demon erases information optimally. The work gain by the engine can be exactly canceled out by the work necessary to reset demon’s memory after optimal data… [Read more…]

New twist on Brownian motion seen for the first time

October 11, 2011

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An important aspect of Brownian motion predicted decades ago has been observed for the first time by researchers in Europe. The team has measured how micrometre-sized spheres interact with a surrounding fluid and have shown that the spheres “remember” their previous motion. Their experimental technique, the researchers claim, could be used as a biophysical sensor.… [Read more…]

What role does the third law of thermodynamics play in Szilard engines?

August 19, 2011

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The role of the third law of thermodynamics in the Szilard engine has been addressed. If the ground state is non-degenerate, the entropy production defined as the work extractable from the engine divided by temperature vanishes as temperature approaches zero due to the third law. The degenerate ground state induced by the symmetry or by… [Read more…]

Two “paradoxes” in Statistical Mechanics

June 9, 2011

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When Boltzmann announced the H theorem a century ago, objections were raised against it on the ground that it led to “paradoxes”. These are the so-called “reversal paradox” and “recurrence paradox”, both based on the erroneous statement of the H theorem that dH/dt≤0 at all times. The correct statement of the H theorem, is free… [Read more…]