Understanding L&L's argument, constant current in a crystal

In summary, the conversation discusses chapter III of volume 8 of Landau and Lifshitz series, which talks about the Joule effect and the increase of entropy. The authors mention that the symmetry of the crystal would allow for a certain term in the equation, but in reality, it cannot exist because it would violate the principle of entropy increase. The conversation ends with a question about understanding the authors' argument.
  • #1
fluidistic
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I'm trying to go through chapter III of the vol.8 of Landau and Lifshitz series. (Fortunately the book is uploaded to the archive.org, I guess it is in the public domain.)
At page 87 ( << Archive.org link deleted by the Mentors because of copyright violation >> ), they speak about the Joule effect and that this effect makes the entropy increase. Namely ##dS/dt = \int (\vec J \cdot \vec E )/T dV## and that this quantity must be positive. Where ##\vec J## is the current density vector, and it's worth ##j_i = \sigma_{ik}E_k##. So far so good.

Then they make a remark that I do not quite understand/buy. They say that the symmetry of the crystal would allow ##j_i = \sigma_{ik}E_k + j_i^{(0)}## where ##\vec J^{(0)}## is a constant vector. But that in reality this term cannot exist, because entropy must increase, and since the term ##\vec J^{(0)}\cdot \vec E## in the integrand could take either sign, ##dS/dt## would not be invariably positive.

I do not quite understand the above logic. I do understand that we must have ##dS/dt>0##. Therefore we must have ##\underbrace{\int (\sigma \vec E) \cdot \vec E / T dV}_{>0. \text{not sure I can assume that now...}} + \int \vec J^{(0)} \cdot \vec E / T dV >0##. Thus the second integral could even be negative, yet the sum of the two integrals be positive and we would have no problem whatsoever. If that second term is positive or zero, no problem either. The problem arises when the second integral is lesser than minus the first integral. I do not see how L&L can fix it to zero with the logical argument they give.

Does someone understand L&L's argument here? If so, how would you explain it better to me?

Thank you!
 
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The first term is quadratic in E, while the second term is linear. So for sufficiently small E, the sign would be dominate by that of the second term.
 
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DrDu said:
The first term is quadratic in E, while the second term is linear. So for sufficiently small E, the sign would be dominate by that of the second term.
Very good point. But then what would be the problem of having a positive second term?
 
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Thread is temporarily in Moderation, checking on copyright issues...

Thread re-opened after deprecating the link.
 

1. What is L&L's argument about constant current in a crystal?

L&L's argument is that when a constant current is applied to a crystal, the electrons in the crystal will experience a force that causes them to move in a specific direction. This movement of electrons is known as drift, and it results in the production of a voltage across the crystal.

2. How does a crystal maintain constant current?

A crystal maintains constant current by having a balanced number of positive and negative charges, creating an electric field that is uniform throughout the crystal. This allows the current to flow steadily without any fluctuations or interruptions.

3. What is the significance of constant current in a crystal?

Constant current in a crystal is significant because it allows for the precise control and manipulation of the movement of electrons. This is crucial in various applications, such as in electronic devices, where a steady and reliable current is needed.

4. How does temperature affect constant current in a crystal?

Temperature can affect constant current in a crystal by altering the crystal's conductivity. As temperature increases, the electrons in the crystal gain more energy and can move more freely, resulting in an increase in current. Conversely, a decrease in temperature can decrease the crystal's conductivity and result in a decrease in current.

5. Can constant current in a crystal be used for energy production?

Yes, constant current in a crystal can be used for energy production through the process of piezoelectricity. This is when mechanical stress is applied to a crystal, causing the crystal to generate an electric current. This phenomenon has been utilized in various devices, such as piezoelectric generators, to produce electricity from mechanical energy.

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