Physics Research Conference

Irreversibility, information and the second law of thermodynamics at the nanoscale

Christopher Jarzynski, Director, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, Distinguished University Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park ,

What do the laws of thermodynamics look like, when applied to microscopic systems such as optically trapped colloids, single molecules manipulated with laser tweezers, and biomolecular machines? In recent years it has become apparent that the fluctuations of small systems far from thermal equilibrium satisfy strong and unexpected laws, which allow us to rewrite familiar inequalities of macroscopic thermodynamics as equalities. These results in turn have spurred a renewed interest in the feedback control of small systems and the closely related Maxwell's demon paradox. I will describe some of this progress, and will argue that it has refined our understanding of irreversibility, the second law, and the thermodynamic arrow of time.

Event Sponsors:

Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy - More events from this Sponsor

For more information, please contact Sheri Stoll by phone at 395-6608 or by email at [email protected] or visit http://www.pma.caltech.edu/~physcoll/PhysColl.html.