The present volume studies the application of concepts from non-equilibrium thermodynamics to a variety of research topics. Emphasis is on the Maximum Entropy Production (MEP) principle and applications to Geosphere-Biosphere couplings. Written by leading researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, the book presents a first coherent account of an emerging field at the interface of thermodynamics, geophysics and life sciences.

Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics: Transport and Rate Processes in Physical, Chemical and Biological Systems, Fourth Edition emphasizes the unifying role of thermodynamics in analyzing natural phenomena. This updated edition expands on the third edition by focusing on the general balance equations for coupled processes of physical, chemical and biological systems. Updates include stochastic approaches, self-organization criticality, ecosystems, mesoscopic thermodynamics, constructual law, quantum thermodynamics, fluctuation theory, information theory, and modeling the coupled biochemical systems. The book also emphasizes nonequilibrium thermodynamics tools, such as fluctuation theories, mesoscopic thermodynamic analysis, information theories, and quantum thermodynamics in describing and designing small scale systems. Provides a useful text for seniors and graduate students from diverse engineering and science programs Highlights the fundamentals of equilibrium thermodynamics, transport processes and chemical reactions Expands the theory of nonequilibrium thermodynamics and its use in coupled transport processes and chemical reactions in physical, chemical and biological systems Presents a unified analysis for transport and rate processes in various time and space scales Discusses stochastic approaches in thermodynamic analysis, including fluctuation and information theories, mesoscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamics, constructal law and quantum thermodynamics

The Second Law, a cornerstone of thermodynamics, governs the average direction of dissipative, non-equilibrium processes. But it says nothing about their actual rates or the probability of fluctuations about the average. This interdisciplinary book, written and peer-reviewed by international experts, presents recent advances in the search for new non-equilibrium principles beyond the Second Law, and their applications to a wide range of systems across physics, chemistry and biology. Beyond The Second Law brings together traditionally isolated areas of non-equilibrium research and highlights potentially fruitful connections between them, with entropy production playing the unifying role. Key theoretical concepts include the Maximum Entropy Production principle, the Fluctuation Theorem, and the Maximum Entropy method of statistical inference. Applications of these principles are illustrated in such diverse fields as climatology, cosmology, crystal growth morphology, Earth system science, environmental physics, evolutionary biology and technology, fluid turbulence, microbial biogeochemistry, plasma physics, and radiative transport, using a wide variety of analytical and experimental techniques. Beyond The Second Law will appeal to students and researchers wishing to gain an understanding of entropy production and its central place in the science of non-equilibrium systems – both in detail and in terms of the bigger picture.

The present volume studies the application of concepts from non-equilibrium thermodynamics to a variety of research topics. Emphasis is on the Maximum Entropy Production (MEP) principle and applications to Geosphere-Biosphere couplings. Written by leading researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, the book presents a first coherent account of an emerging field at the interface of thermodynamics, geophysics and life sciences.

Discover the many facets of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The first part of this book describes the current thermodynamic formalism recognized as the classical theory. The second part focuses on different approaches. Throughout the presentation, the emphasis is on problem-solving applications. To help build your understanding, some problems have been analyzed using several formalisms to underscore their differences and their similarities.

Classic monograph treats irreversible processes and phenomena of thermodynamics: non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Covers statistical foundations and applications with chapters on fluctuation theory, theory of stochastic processes, kinetic theory of gases, more.

The purpose of this book is to encourage the use of non-equilibrium thermodynamics to describe transport in complex, heterogeneous media. With large coupling effects between the transport of heat, mass, charge and chemical reactions at surfaces, it is important to know how one should properly integrate across systems where different phases are in contact. No other book gives a prescription of how to set up flux equations for transports across heterogeneous systems.The authors apply the thermodynamic description in terms of excess densities, developed by Gibbs for equilibrium, to non-equilibrium systems. The treatment is restricted to transport into and through the surface. Using local equilibrium together with the balance equations for the surface, expressions for the excess entropy production of the surface and of the contact line are derived. Many examples are given to illustrate how the theory can be applied to coupled transport of mass, heat, charge and chemical reactions; in phase transitions, at electrode surfaces and in fuel cells. Molecular simulations and analytical studies are used to add insight.