Nonstationary irreversible thermodynamics: A causal relativistic theory

Abstract

Conventional theories of irreversible thermodynamics predict instantaneous propagation of thermal and viscous effects. This defect can be traced to the omission of terms quadratic in the heat flux and viscous stresses from the expression for the entropy 4-vector in terms of the fluxes of 4-momentum and material. By a systematic restoration of the quadratic terms, a generalized theory is formulated which is applicable to the description of transient irreversible effects and reconcilable with causality. Also discussed is the relativistic formulation of the second law of thermodynamics for the exchange of heat and matter between bodies with arbitrary relative velocities. © 1976.