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Absolute equilibrium entropy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

John V. Shebalin
Affiliation:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Langely Reserach Center, Hampton, Virginia 23681, USA

Abstract

The entropy associated with absolute equilibrium ensemble theories of ideal, homogeneous, fluid and magnetofluid turbulence is discussed, and the three-dimensional fluid case is examined in detail. A σ function is defined, whose minimum value with respect to global parameters is the entropy. A comparison is made between the use of global functions σ and phase functions H (associated with the development of various H theorems of ideal turbulence). It is shown that the two approaches are complementary, though conceptually different: H theorems show that an isolated system tends to equilibrium, while σ functions allow the demonstration that entropy never decreases when two previously isolated systems are combined. This provides a more complete picture of entropy in the statistical mechanics of ideal fluids.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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