How Thermodynamics Unlocks the Secrets of an Expanding Universe
The shift from a decelerating expansion regime (in the radiation- and matter-dominated era) to an accelerating expansion regime (in the dark energy-dominated era) resembles a…
Thermodynamics News
Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with the relationships and conversions between heat and other forms of energy. It encompasses the principles governing the behavior of systems in response to changes in temperature, volume, and pressure. The field is foundational for understanding the physical properties of matter and the efficient use of energy in various systems. Thermodynamics is based on four fundamental laws: the zeroth law establishes thermal equilibrium and temperature; the first law, which is a statement of conservation of energy, explains how energy is conserved in processes; the second law addresses the direction of processes and the increase of entropy, indicating that energy quality diminishes over time; and the third law states that as temperature approaches absolute zero, the entropy of a system approaches a constant minimum. These principles have profound implications in engineering, chemistry, and biology, particularly in designing engines, refrigerators, and even understanding biological processes.
“Considered Impossible Until Now” – Scientists Develop Micro Heat Engine That Challenges the Carnot Limit
Designing a heat engine capable of producing maximum power while maintaining maximum efficiency has long been a significant challenge in physics and engineering. Practical heat…
Negative Pressure Unveiled: The Dual Power of Light & Sound Waves
Scientists have developed an innovative method to study the metastable state of liquids with negative pressure by encapsulating them in optical fibers. This technique provides…
Absolute Zero Is Attainable? Scientists Have Found a Quantum Formulation for the Third Law of Thermodynamics
Erasing data perfectly and attaining the lowest possible temperature may appear unrelated, but they share a strong connection. Researchers at TU Wien have discovered a…
Physics Breakthrough: Researchers Overcome Long-Standing Limitation of First Law of Thermodynamics
Physicists at West Virginia University have overcome a long-standing limitation of the first law of thermodynamics. Paul Cassak, a professor and associate director of the…
How Chaos Theory Relates Two Seemingly Different Areas of Physics
A new study at TU Wien has revealed how chaos theory connects quantum theory and thermodynamics, two seemingly separate areas of physics. A single particle…
Zentropy: New Theory of Entropy May Solve Materials Design Issues
A challenge in materials design is that in both natural and manmade materials, volume sometimes decreases, or increases, with increasing temperature. While there are mechanical…
Creating Liquid Shapes That Are Nearly Impossible To Find in Nature: Physicists Make Square Droplets and Liquid Lattices
Driving systems out of equilibrium with electric fields proves useful for creating liquid shapes that are nearly impossible to find in nature. When two substances…
New Fundamental Limits Beyond the Standard Laws of Thermodynamics Found in Maxwell’s Demon Experiment
Researchers at the Universities Vienna and Stuttgart have investigated a version of Maxwell’s demon embodied by a delayed feedback force acting on a levitated microparticle….
Researchers Demonstrate a New Electrochemical Method to Study Thermodynamic Processes
The thermodynamic properties of compounds such as aluminum oxide, which are known as refractory materials because they melt at temperatures above 2,000 degrees Celsius (3,632…
Tectonic Plates Used to Sink Much Further Than They do Today
New research from MIT reveals that ancient Earth harbored higher mantle temperatures, which were much more efficient at drawing down pieces of the planet’s crust….
Nanoparticle Temporarily Violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics
In a newly published study, an international team of researchers detail how they discovered that a nanoparticle trapped with laser light temporarily violates the second…
Third Law of Thermodynamics Restored in Thin Films of Spin Ice
A newly published study reveals that the Third Law of Thermodynamics can be restored in thin films of the magnetic material spin ice. Thin films…
Carbon-Netural Thermocell Could Harvest ‘Waste Heat’
Researchers from Monash University have developed a liquid-based thermocell that could harvest waste heat and convert it into electricity with no carbon emissions. Harvesting waste…
Thermal Cloak Molds the Flow of Heat Around an Object
Scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have constructed a micro-structured thermal cloak that molds the flow of heat around an object. By means of…