Related papers: A Thermodynamic Hypothesis Regarding Optimality Pr…
A central goal of thermodynamics is to identify optimal processes during which the least amount of energy is dissipated into the environment. Generally, even for simple systems, such as the parametric harmonic oscillator, optimal control…
Extremal principles are fundamental in our interpretation of phenomena in nature. One of the best known examples is the second law of thermodynamics, governing most physical and chemical systems and stating the continuous increase of…
Thermodynamic relations are derived from first principles of mechanics for non-equilibrium processes. Since the key role herein is played by the law of increase of entropy, the latter is analyzed at first. It is shown that its derivation…
The restriction of hydrodynamics to non-viscous, potential (gradient, irrotational) flows is a theory both simple and elegant; a favorite topic of introductory textbooks. It is known that this theory can be formulated as an action principle…
Optimality principles in nonequilibrium transport networks are linked to a thermodynamic formalism based on generalized transport potentials endowed with Legendre duality and related contact structure. This allows quantifying the distance…
Optimal (reversible) processes in thermodynamics can be modelled as step-by-step processes, where the system is successively thermalized with respect to different Hamiltonians by an external thermal bath. However, in practice interactions…
We develop new variational principles to study stability and equilibrium of axisymmetric flows. We show that there is an infinite number of steady state solutions. We show that these steady states maximize a (non-universal) $H$-function. We…
Building upon a thermodynamic formalism, we show that self-gravitating systems in hydrostatic equilibrium with a uniform density are maximal entropy states when submitted to perturbations which are slow on dynamical timescale. We coin this…
Technical components are usually well optimized. However, simply combining these optimized components in a technical system does not necessarily lead to optimal systems. Therefore, focusing on a system perspective reveals new potential for…
People are well aware that, inherently, certain small-scale nonchaotic particle movements are not governed by thermodynamics. Usually, such phenomena are studied by kinetic theory and their energy properties are considered "trivial". In…
Stochastic thermodynamics as reviewed here systematically provides a framework for extending the notions of classical thermodynamics like work, heat and entropy production to the level of individual trajectories of well-defined…
Improvement of thermoelectric systems in terms of performance and range of applications relies on progress in materials science and optimization of device operation. In this chapter, we focuse on optimization by taking into account the…
Self-propulsion allows living systems to display unusual collective behavior. Unlike passive systems in thermal equilibrium, active matter systems are not constrained by conventional thermodynamic laws. A question arises however as to what…
Using information theory we derive a thermodynamics for systems evolving under a collective motion, i.e. under a time-odd constraint. An illustration within the Lattice gas Model is given for two model cases: a collision between two complex…
Transferring a physical system from an initial to a final state while minimizing energetic losses is an interdisciplinary control problem that bridges stochastic thermodynamics and optimal transport theory. Recent research typically…
Adaptive systems -- such as a biological organism gaining survival advantage, an autonomous robot executing a functional task, or a motor protein transporting intracellular nutrients -- must model the regularities and stochasticity in their…
The investigation of optimal processes has a long history in the field of thermodynamics. It is well known that finite-time processes that minimize dissipation often exhibit discontinuities. We use a combination of numerical and analytical…
Living systems maintain or increase local order by working against the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Thermodynamic consistency is restored as they dissipate heat, thereby increasing the net entropy of their environment. Recently introduced…
A recent experiment driving colloids electromagnetically, by B\'erut et al. [2014 Europhys. Lett. 107, 60004], is an ideal paradigm for illustrating a linear response theory for nonequilibrium overdamped systems including hydrodynamic…
Active matter constantly dissipates energy to power the self-propulsion of its microscopic constituents. This opens the door to designing innovative cyclic engines without any equilibrium equivalent. We offer a consistent thermodynamic…