Scientific paper o' the day
Modeling Maxwell's demon with a microcanonical Szilard engine. Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, And Soft Matter Physics. 2011 Jun;83(6-1):061120
PMID
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21797315
Journal
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, And Soft Matter Physics. 2011 Jun;83(6-1):061120
Author(s)
Vaikuntanathan S, Jarzynski C
Affiliations
Abstract
Following recent work by Marathe and Parrondo [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 245704 (2010)], we construct a classical Hamiltonian system whose energy is reduced during the adiabatic cycling of external parameters when initial conditions are sampled microcanonically. Combining our system with a device that measures its energy, we propose a cyclic procedure during which energy is extracted from a heat bath and converted to work, in apparent violation of the second law of thermodynamics. This paradox is resolved by deriving an explicit relationship between the average work delivered during one cycle of operation and the average information gained when measuring the system's energy.
PMID
ShareThis
21797315
Journal
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, And Soft Matter Physics. 2011 Jun;83(6-1):061120
Author(s)
Vaikuntanathan S, Jarzynski C
Affiliations
Abstract
Following recent work by Marathe and Parrondo [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 245704 (2010)], we construct a classical Hamiltonian system whose energy is reduced during the adiabatic cycling of external parameters when initial conditions are sampled microcanonically. Combining our system with a device that measures its energy, we propose a cyclic procedure during which energy is extracted from a heat bath and converted to work, in apparent violation of the second law of thermodynamics. This paradox is resolved by deriving an explicit relationship between the average work delivered during one cycle of operation and the average information gained when measuring the system's energy.