dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaQuantum Approach to a Derivation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics
| Authors | Jochen Gemmer, Alexander Otte, Guenter Mahler |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0101140 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0101140 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.1927 |
Abstract
We re-interprete the microcanonical conditions in the quantum domain as constraints for the interaction of the "gas-subsystem" under consideration and its environment ("container"). The time-average of a purity-measure is found to equal the average over the respective path in Hilbert-space. We then show that for typical (degenerate or non-degenerate) thermodynamical systems almost all states within the allowed region of Hilbert-space have a local von Neumann-entropy S close to the maximum and a purity P close to its minimum, respectively. Typically thermodynamical systems should therefore obey the second law.
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"abstract": "We re-interprete the microcanonical conditions in the quantum domain as\nconstraints for the interaction of the \"gas-subsystem\" under consideration and\nits environment (\"container\"). The time-average of a purity-measure is found to\nequal the average over the respective path in Hilbert-space. We then show that\nfor typical (degenerate or non-degenerate) thermodynamical systems almost all\nstates within the allowed region of Hilbert-space have a local von\nNeumann-entropy S close to the maximum and a purity P close to its minimum,\nrespectively. Typically thermodynamical systems should therefore obey the\nsecond law.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0101140",
"authors": [
"Jochen Gemmer",
"Alexander Otte",
"Guenter Mahler"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.1927",
"title": "Quantum Approach to a Derivation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0101140"
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