STATISTICAL-MECHANICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR A GENERALIZED THERMODYNAMICS OF DISSIPATIVE PROCESSES

Citation
Ma. Tenan et al., STATISTICAL-MECHANICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR A GENERALIZED THERMODYNAMICS OF DISSIPATIVE PROCESSES, Fortschritte der Physik, 45(1), 1997, pp. 1-37
Citations number
92
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
ISSN journal
00158208
Volume
45
Issue
1
Year of publication
1997
Pages
1 - 37
Database
ISI
SICI code
0015-8208(1997)45:1<1:SFFAGT>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
A statistical-mechanical formalism for nonequilibrium systems, namely the nonequilibrium statistical operator method, provides microscopic f oundations for a generalized thermodynamics of dissipative processes. This formalism is based on a unifying variational approach that is con sidered to be encompassed in Jaynes' Predictive Statistical Mechanics and principle of maximization of the statistical-informational entropy . Within the framework of the statistical thermodynamics that follows from the method, we demonstrate the existence of generalized forms of the theorem of minimum (informational) entropy production, the criteri on for evolution, and the thermodynamic (in)stability criterion. The f ormalism is not restricted to local equilibrium but, in principle, to general conditions (its complete domain of validity is not yet fully d etermined). A H-theorem associated to the formalism is presented in th e form of an increase of the informational entropy along the evolution of the system. Some of the results are illustrated in an application to the study of a model for a photoexcited direct-gap semiconductor.