Nanotubes self-organize and wiggle: evolution of a non-equilibrium system demonstrates maximum entropy production
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 - 14:00
in Physics & Chemistry
The second law of thermodynamics tells us that all systems evolve toward a state of maximum entropy, wherein all energy is dissipated as heat, and no available energy remains to do work. Since the mid-20th century, research has pointed to an extension of the second law for nonequilibrium systems: the Maximum Entropy Production Principle (MEPP) states that a system away from equilibrium evolves in such a way as to maximize entropy production, given present constraints.