Dissipation and Relaxation in Statistical Mechanics (2012-2013)
Abstract
In 127 years since Boltzmann proved his famous H-theorem which is only valid for uniform dilute gases, there has been very little progress in understanding the nature of relaxation to equilibrium. There has been no progress at all in studying relaxation to nonequilibrium steady states. We have recently proved three new theorems which shed new light on these processes: the Fluctuation, Dissipation and Relaxation Theorems. The Relaxation Theorem is the most recent and this project aims to explore its ramifications. We aim to study those cases that lie at the very limits of applicability of the theorems. The potential applications are extremely diverse including molecular biology, nanotechnology, chemical engineering and climate modelling.
