Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics Of Heterogeneous Fluid Systems

Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics of Heterogeneous Fluid Systems

There is a wide variety of heterogeneous fluid systems that possess interphase surfaces. This monograph is devoted to pioneering studies in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics of such systems. Starting from the Liouville equation, the equations of surface hydrodynamics are derived with allowance for discontinuities of thermodynamic parameters of interphase boundaries. Brownian motion of a large solid particle in a fluid and nucleation are treated as results of fluctuations of flows across particle surfaces. With the use of the Gibbs method, a shock wave in a gas is considered as a sort of an interphase surface, and the surface tension of a shock front is introduced for the first time.

Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics of Heterogeneous Systems

The purpose of this book is to encourage the use of non-equilibrium thermodynamics to describe transport in complex, heterogeneous media. With large coupling effects between the transport of heat, mass, charge and chemical reactions at surfaces, it is important to know how one should properly integrate across systems where different phases are in contact. No other book gives a prescription of how to set up flux equations for transports across heterogeneous systems.The authors apply the thermodynamic description in terms of excess densities, developed by Gibbs for equilibrium, to non-equilibrium systems. The treatment is restricted to transport into and through the surface. Using local equilibrium together with the balance equations for the surface, expressions for the excess entropy production of the surface and of the contact line are derived. Many examples are given to illustrate how the theory can be applied to coupled transport of mass, heat, charge and chemical reactions; in phase transitions, at electrode surfaces and in fuel cells. Molecular simulations and analytical studies are used to add insight.

Applied Mechanics Reviews