Thermodynamics and fluctuations far from equilibrium

Viac o knihe

Thermodynamics is a cornerstone of science, traditionally focused on equilibrium systems for the past 150 years. However, systems not at equilibrium—whether time-dependent or in non-equilibrium stationary states—have received less attention, despite their broader applicability. Our research over the past 40 years addresses this gap, presenting theoretical and experimental insights on three key topics. Part I formulates the thermodynamics of far-from-equilibrium systems, exploring connections to fluctuations and applications to non-equilibrium stationary states, multiple stationary states, reaction-diffusion systems, transport properties, and electrochemical systems, supported by relevant experiments. Part II discusses dissipation and efficiency in both autonomous and externally forced reactions, including various biochemical systems. Part III delves into stochastic theory and fluctuations in far-from-equilibrium systems, covering fluctuation-dissipation relations and disordered systems. We aim for a coherent presentation of our findings while connecting to related approaches by other researchers, without conducting a comprehensive literature review. We hope this work will engage chemists, physicists, biochemists, and engineers, anticipating its eventual integration into graduate and undergraduate curricula.