The five problems of irreversibility.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
Michael Te Vrugt

Abstract

Thermodynamics has a clear arrow of time, characterized by the irreversible approach to equilibrium. This stands in contrast to the laws of microscopic theories, which are invariant under time-reversal. Foundational discussions of this "problem of irreversibility" often focus on historical considerations, and do therefore not take results of modern physical research on this topic into account. In this article, I will close this gap by studying the implications of dynamical density functional theory (DDFT), a central method of modern nonequilibrium statistical mechanics not previously considered in philosophy of physics, for this debate. For this purpose, the philosophical discussion of irreversibility is structured into five problems, concerned with the source of irreversibility in thermodynamics, the definition of equilibrium and entropy, the justification of coarse-graining, the approach to equilibrium and the arrow of time. For each of these problems, it is shown that DDFT provides novel insights that are of importance for both physicists and philosophers of physics.

References

Sep 1, 1994·Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics·T Munakata
Aug 31, 2004·The Journal of Chemical Physics·A J Archer, R Evans
May 21, 2005·Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics·Akira Yoshimori
May 21, 2005·Physical Review Letters·Garnet Kin-Lic Chan, Reimar Finken
Oct 8, 2005·Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences·Pep Español, Federico Vázquez
Jan 1, 2008·The Journal of Chemical Physics·Markus RauscherFlorencia Penna
Oct 15, 2008·Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics·H H Wensink, H Löwen
Jan 12, 2010·The Journal of Chemical Physics·Pep Español, Hartmut Löwen
Aug 27, 2011·Physical Review Letters·Mihaela Enculescu, Holger Stark
Dec 20, 2012·The Journal of Chemical Physics·Raphael WittkowskiHelmut R Brand
Jun 14, 2013·The Journal of Chemical Physics·Matthias Schmidt, Joseph M Brader
Nov 2, 2014·Physical Review Letters·Andrea FortiniMatthias Schmidt
Aug 15, 2015·Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics·A Diaw, M S Murillo
Jan 17, 2016·The Journal of Chemical Physics·Andreas M MenzelHartmut Löwen
Apr 12, 2019·Science Advances·James F Lutsko
May 10, 2019·The Journal of Chemical Physics·Hugues MeyerTanja Schilling
Jan 16, 2020·Soft Matter·Lucas L Treffenstädt, Matthias Schmidt
May 13, 2020·The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science·Katie Robertson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics : CQ : the International Journal of Healthcare Ethics Committees
Nada Gligorov
Kosmos. Seria A, Biologia
A RAJSKI
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
F C Andrews
Die Naturwissenschaften
K Immelmann
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved