{
  "id": "1311.4995",
  "version": "v2",
  "published": "2013-11-20T10:04:01.000Z",
  "updated": "2015-02-27T11:02:15.000Z",
  "title": "Toward a new foundation of statistical thermodynamics",
  "authors": [
    "J. P. Badiali"
  ],
  "categories": [
    "cond-mat.stat-mech"
  ],
  "abstract": "We propose a new approach concerning the introduction of time-irreversibility in statistical mechanics. It is based on a transition function defined in terms of path integral and verifying a time-irreversible equation. We show first how dynamic processes may enter in the description of equilibrium states. In order to do that a characteristic time is associated with closed paths. For large isolated systems at equilibrium or for systems in contact with a thermostat our results are identical with those obtained with the Gibbs ensemble methods. For a model used in the microscopic approaches of the brownian motion no new basic assumption is required to predict a transition from a quantum state to a classical one exhibiting a time-irreversible behavior. This demonstration is sufficient to show that very well accepted approximations can lead to time-irreversible behaviors for a large class of systems. The difference between our work and the system+reservoir approaches is underlined. Here equilibrium states and irreversible processes are described on the same footing representing a progress in the question of time-irreversibility in statistical physics. The transition function is also used for describing a small system for which there is no thermodynamics. By adding to the transition function a second one characterizing the reverse motion we may describe time-reversible systems. In a simple case we replace two real valued transition functions by a complex function verifying a Schrodinger like equation. From this we see how to break the time-reversibility of this equation and how to investigate the connection quantum mechanics-thermodynamics from a very fundamental point of view.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2013-11-20T10:04:01.000Z",
      "title": "Toward a new foundation of statistical mechanics",
      "comment": null,
      "journal": null,
      "doi": null
    },
    {
      "version": "v2",
      "updated": "2015-02-27T11:02:15.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "statistical thermodynamics",
      "foundation",
      "equilibrium states",
      "connection quantum mechanics-thermodynamics",
      "time-irreversible behavior"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 0,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable",
      "adsabs": "2013arXiv1311.4995B"
    }
  }
}