Orthogonal Transformations of the Onsager Phenomenological Equations and Minimum Entropy Production
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Authors
Bruno, Ronald J.
Issue Date
1973
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Issue
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
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Abstract
Equilibrium thermodynamics is a phenomenological theory of matter, and, as such, it makes no assumptions regarding the structure of matter. Rather, based on three general laws of nature (the three laws of thermodynamics), the science of equilibrium thermodynamics seeks to correlate many of the observable properties of matter such as specific heat capacities and heats of vaporization. In this role, equilibrium thermodynamics has developed into one of the cornerstone theories in classical physics. | A limitation of equilibrium thermodynamics is that every process is assumed to be a succession of equilibrium states. These processes are called reversible processes and no entropy is produced when systems undergo such processes. There is no attempt to describe phenomena which occur in systems which acre not in states of thermodynamic equilibrium. Thus, equilibrium thermodynamics cannot provide the description of phenomena such as the flow of ions across the cell membrane or the transport of energy into the earth's atmosphere from the sun.
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Publisher
Creighton University
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