Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics and the Production of Entropy: Life, Earth, and Beyond

Content......Page 1
1.1 Introduction......Page 19
1.2 Entropy Production of Climate Systems......Page 20
1.2.1 Earth’s Climate System......Page 21
1.2.2 Other Planetary Climate Systems......Page 22
1.3 The Principles of Minimum and Maximum Entropy Production......Page 23
1.3.1 Heat Transport and Minimum Entropy Production......Page 24
1.3.2 Heat Transport and Maximum Entropy Production......Page 25
1.3.3 Maximum Entropy Production in a Planetary Context......Page 28
1.3.4 Minimization Versus Maximization of Entropy Production......Page 29
1.4.1 Environmental E.ects of Biotic Activity......Page 30
1.4.3 Optimization and Entropy Production Within the Biosphere......Page 32
1.5 Structure of This Book......Page 34
2.1 Introduction......Page 39
2.2 Time’s Arrow......Page 40
2.3 Cosmological Setting......Page 42
2.4 Complexity Rising......Page 44
References......Page 48
3 Stumbling into the MEP Racket: An Historical Perspective......Page 50
References......Page 57
4 Maximum Entropy Production and Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics......Page 58
4.1 Introduction......Page 59
4.2 Boltzmann, Gibbs, Shannon, Jaynes......Page 60
4.3 Macroscopic Reproducibility......Page 62
4.5 Path Information Formalism of NESM......Page 64
4.6 New Results Far from Equilibrium......Page 66
4.6.1 Maximum Entropy Production (MEP)......Page 67
4.6.2 The Fluctuation Theorem (FT)......Page 68
4.6.3 Self-Organized Criticality (SOC)......Page 69
4.8 Further Prospects......Page 70
References......Page 71
5.1 Introduction......Page 73
5.2 Constraint Among Biotic Processes......Page 74
5.3 Quantifying Constraint in Fluid Flow......Page 77
5.5 Conclusion......Page 80
References......Page 81
6.1 Maximum Entropy Production and Reproducibility......Page 83
6.1.2 The Entropy of an Observable Universe Must Start Low......Page 84
6.1.3 Expansion Does Not Increase the Entropy of the Universe......Page 86
6.1.4 Return of the Heat Death......Page 87
6.2.1 Does Life Increase the Total Entropy Growth over What It Would Be Without Life?......Page 89
6.3 Applying the Maximum Entropy Principle to Biological Evolution......Page 91
References......Page 92
7.1 Introduction......Page 94
7.2 MEP in Classical Thermodynamics......Page 97
7.3 MEP in Two-Dimensional Turbulence......Page 99
7.4 Application to Stellar Systems......Page 103
8.1 Introduction......Page 107
8.2 Entropy Production in an Idealized Dry Atmosphere......Page 109
8.2.2 Sources of Entropy Production......Page 110
8.2.3 Theoretical Upper Bound of Entropy Production......Page 111
8.3.1 Simulated Entropy Production in the Climatological Mean......Page 112
8.3.2 Comparing the Analytic MEP Solution to the Simulated Atmosphere......Page 113
8.3.3 Sensitivity of Entropy Production to Internal Parameters......Page 115
8.4 Climatological Implications......Page 117
References......Page 119
9.1 Introduction......Page 121
9.2.1 Cycle A: Pure Dehumidi.er......Page 124
9.2.2 Cycle B: Atmospheric Dehumidi.er and Water Vapor Expansion......Page 126
9.2.3 Cycle C: Sensible Heat Transport......Page 128
9.3 Dehumidi.er Versus Heat Engine......Page 129
9.4 Frictional Dissipation in Falling Precipitation......Page 130
9.5 Entropy Budget of the Earth’s Atmosphere......Page 131
References......Page 133
10.1 Introduction......Page 134
10.2 Calculation of Entropy Production......Page 136
10.3 Model Description and Experimental Method......Page 137
10.4 Entropy Production in a Steady State......Page 139
10.5 Entropy Production During Transition Among Multiple Steady States......Page 140
10.6 Entropy Production During Evolution of Structure......Page 141
10.7 Analogy Between Ocean System and Living System......Page 143
References......Page 145
11.1 Introduction......Page 148
11.2 Early Work by Leopold and Langbein......Page 149
11.3 Scaling Laws in Hydrology......Page 151
11.4 Thermodynamics of Fractal Networks......Page 154
11.5 Entropy and Shoreline Pro.les......Page 157
11.6 Concluding Remarks......Page 158
References......Page 159
12.1 Equator-Pole Temperature Gradients of Planetary Atmospheres......Page 160
12.1.2 Titan......Page 161
12.1.3 Mars......Page 162
12.1.6 Other Processes in Planetary Atmospheres......Page 163
12.2 A Probabilistic Explanation for MEP......Page 164
12.3 Dissipation and Heat Transport......Page 165
12.4 Geomorphology and Dissipative Structures......Page 167
12.5 The Yarkovsky E.ect – Migration of Meteorites via a Photon Heat Engine......Page 168
12.6 Dyson Sphere – The Ultimate Stage in Planetary Evolution......Page 170
References......Page 171
13.1 Introduction......Page 173
13.2 The Two-State Kinetic Model......Page 174
13.3 The Five State Model for Chlorophyll Based Photoconversion......Page 176
13.4 Slip Coe.cients and Forward Static Head State......Page 179
13.5 Conclusions......Page 180
References......Page 182
14.1 Introduction......Page 184
14.2.1 Climatic Constraints on Biotic Productivity......Page 186
14.2.2 Dynamic Constraint of Terrestrial Energy- and Water Exchange......Page 188
14.3.1 Vegetation E.ects on Land Surface Characteristics......Page 189
14.3.2 Climate Feedbacks of Terrestrial Vegetation......Page 190
14.4 Biotic Entropy Production and MEP......Page 192
14.4.1 Conditions for Biotic MEP States......Page 193
14.4.2 Biotic States of MEP......Page 194
14.4.3 Biotic MEP and Gaia......Page 197
References......Page 198
15.1 Introduction......Page 201
15.2.2 When Did Earth Acquire a Biosphere?......Page 202
15.2.3 What E.ect Did Primitive Life Have on the Early Atmosphere?......Page 203
15.3 Long-Term Climate Evolution and the Biosphere......Page 205
15.4 Atmospheric Redox Change: The Rise of Oxygen......Page 207
15.5.1 Aerobic Versus Anaerobic Energetics......Page 209
15.5.2 Why Complex Life Anywhere in the Universe Will Likely Use Oxygen......Page 210
15.6 The Anomalous Nature of Earth’s Current Atmosphere......Page 212
References......Page 213
16.1 Introduction......Page 217
16.2 Biogenesis at Life’s Upper Temperature Limit: A Hyperthermophilic Origin of Life......Page 218
16.3 The Temperature Constraint on Biologic Evolution......Page 222
References......Page 227
17.1 Introduction......Page 232
17.2 Daisyworld......Page 233
17.3 Model Formulation......Page 235
17.4 Two-Component System......Page 238
17.6 Saturated Growth......Page 240
17.7 A Two-Box Model......Page 242
17.8 Slow Daisies......Page 243
17.9 Discussion......Page 248
References......Page 250
18.1 Introduction......Page 251
18.2 Thermodynamic Constraints on Production and Consumption......Page 253
18.4 Thermodynamics and the “Evolution” of Economic Processes......Page 256
18.5 Information and Knowledge......Page 257
18.6 Conclusion......Page 259
References......Page 260
Index......Page 263