This book is dedicated to the recent developments in RET with the aim to explore polyatomic gas, dense gas and mixture of gases in non-equilibrium. In particular we present the theory of dense gases with 14 fields, which reduces to the Navier-Stokes Fourier classical theory in the parabolic limit. Molecular RET with an arbitrary number of field-variables for polyatomic gases is also discussed and the theory is proved to be perfectly compatible with the kinetic theory in which the distribution function depends on an extra variable that takes into account a molecule’s internal degrees of freedom. Recent results on mixtures of gases with multi-temperature are presented together with a natural definition of the average temperature. The qualitative analysis and in particular, the existence of the global smooth solution and the convergence to equilibrium are also studied by taking into account the fact that the differential systems are symmetric hyperbolic. Applications to shock and sound waves are analyzed together with light scattering and heat conduction and the results are compared with experimental data. Rational extended thermodynamics (RET) is a thermodynamic theory that is applicable to non-equilibrium phenomena. It is described by differential hyperbolic systems of balance laws with local constitutive equations. As RET has been strictly related to the kinetic theory through the closure method of moment hierarchy associated to the Boltzmann equation, the applicability range of the theory has been restricted within rarefied monatomic gases. The book represents a valuable resource for applied mathematicians, physicists and engineers, offering powerful models for potential applications like satellites reentering the atmosphere, semiconductors and nano-scale phenomena.

Physicists firmly believe that the differential equations of nature should be hyperbolic so as to exclude action at a distance; yet the equations of irreversible thermodynamics - those of Navier-Stokes and Fourier - are parabolic. This incompatibility between the expectation of physicists and the classical laws of thermodynamics has prompted the formulation of extended thermodynamics. After describing the motifs and early evolution of this new branch of irreversible thermodynamics, the authors apply the theory to mon-atomic gases, mixtures of gases, relativistic gases, and "gases" of phonons and photons. The discussion brings into perspective the various phenomena called second sound, such as heat propagation, propagation of shear stress and concentration, and the second sound in liquid helium. The formal mathematical structure of extended thermodynamics is exposed and the theory is shown to be fully compatible with the kinetic theory of gases. The study closes with the testing of extended thermodynamics through the exploitation of its predictions for measurements of light scattering and sound propagation.

Rational extended thermodynamics (RET) is the theory that is applicable to nonequilibrium phenomena out of local equilibrium. It is expressed by the hyperbolic system of field equations with local constitutive equations and is strictly related to the kinetic theory with the closure method of the hierarchies of moment equations. The book intends to present, in a systematic way, new results obtained by RET of gases in both classical and relativistic cases, and it is a natural continuation of the book "Rational Extended Thermodynamics beyond the Monatomic Gas" by the same authors published in 2015. However, this book addresses much wider topics than those of the previous book. Its contents are as follows: RET of rarefied monatomic gases and of polyatomic gases; a simplified RET theory with 6 fields being valid far from equilibrium; RET where both molecular rotational and vibrational modes exist; mixture of gases with multi-temperature. The theory is applied to several typical topics (sound waves, shock waves, etc.) and is compared with experimental data. From a mathematical point of view, RET can be regarded as a theory of hyperbolic symmetric systems, of which it is possible to conduct a qualitative analysis. The book represents a valuable resource for applied mathematicians, physicists, and engineers, offering powerful models for many potential applications such as reentering satellites into the atmosphere, semiconductors, and nanoscale phenomena.

Ordinary thermodynamics provides reliable results when the thermodynamic fields are smooth, in the sense that there are no steep gradients and no rapid changes. In fluids and gases this is the domain of the equations of Navier-Stokes and Fourier. Extended thermodynamics becomes relevant for rapidly varying and strongly inhomogeneous processes. Thus the propagation of high frequency waves, and the shape of shock waves, and the regression of small-scale fluctuation are governed by extended thermodynamics. The field equations of ordinary thermodynamics are parabolic while extended thermodynamics is governed by hyperbolic systems. The main ingredients of extended thermodynamics are • field equations of balance type, • constitutive quantities depending on the present local state and • entropy as a concave function of the state variables. This set of assumptions leads to first order quasi-linear symmetric hyperbolic systems of field equations; it guarantees the well-posedness of initial value problems and finite speeds of propaga tion. Several tenets of irreversible thermodynamics had to be changed in subtle ways to make extended thermodynamics work. Thus, the entropy is allowed to depend on nonequilibrium vari ables, the entropy flux is a general constitutive quantity, and the equations for stress and heat flux contain inertial terms. New insight is therefore provided into the principle of material frame indifference. With these modifications an elegant formal structure can be set up in which, just as in classical thermostatics, all restrictive conditions--derived from the entropy principle-take the form of integrability conditions.

This book gathers contributions on various aspects of the theory and applications of linear and nonlinear waves and associated phenomena, as well as approaches developed in a global partnership of researchers with the national Centre of Excellence in Nonlinear Studies (CENS) at the Department of Cybernetics of Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia. The papers chiefly focus on the role of mathematics in the analysis of wave phenomena. They highlight the complexity of related topics concerning wave generation, propagation, transformation and impact in solids, gases, fluids and human tissues, while also sharing insights into selected mathematical methods for the analytical and numerical treatment of complex phenomena. In addition, the contributions derive advanced mathematical models, share innovative ideas on computing, and present novel applications for a number of research fields where both linear and nonlinear wave problems play an important role. The papers are written in a tutorial style, intended for non-specialist researchers and students. The authors first describe the basics of a problem that is currently of interest in the scientific community, discuss the state of the art in related research, and then share their own experiences in tackling the problem. Each chapter highlights the importance of applied mathematics for central issues in the study of waves and associated complex phenomena in different media. The topics range from basic principles of wave mechanics up to the mathematics of Planet Earth in the broadest sense, including contemporary challenges in the mathematics of society. In turn, the areas of application range from classic ocean wave mathematics to material science, and to human nerves and tissues. All contributions describe the approaches in a straightforward manner, making them ideal material for educational purposes, e.g. for courses, master class lectures, or seminar presentations.

Problems after each chapter

This multiauthored volume sketches the applications of nonequilibrium thermodynamics to complex systems. These are characterized by an involved form of the Gibbs equation and include systems such as solutions of macromolecules, magnetic hysteresis bodies, viscoelastic fluids, polarizable media, fluids under stresses and in the presence of essential nonstationarities, and high temperature gradients. As a rule, the so- called internal variables and/or dissipative fluxes are essential in the thermodynamic description of such systems.