Quantum thermodynamic processes

Abstract

Based on quantum thermodynamic reasoning even small embedded systems S may well be in thermodynamic equilibrium. This equilibrium depends on the system, here formalized by a parameter γ controlling the spectrum of S and on the embedding, formalized via a parameter α controlling the resulting attractor state for S. Cyclic processes in this α/γ-control space will be investigated and the effects of non-equilibrium studied. © 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.