Non Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics

[Studiot]

A simple websearch reveals many textbooks, lecture notes and articles about Non Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics.

Comments please?

 

[marcusl]

Yep, you're right.

 

[Studiot]

Thank you marcus!

 

[marcusl]

Did you have a question?

 

[Studiot]

It was claimed in another thread that Statistical Mechanics can only be applied to equilibrium situations.

Since that comment was a side issue to the thread I started this thread to provide a separate opportunity to discuss the claim.

 

[diggy]

Most stat-mech techniques assume equilibrium -- so if a system isn't in equilibrium, then those results will most likely be incorrect.

Separately there are many people who try and solve systems outside of equilibrium, since the methods they employ don't require equilibrium they can be applied to non-equilibrium systems.

 

[Count Iblis]

Indeed. The foundations of statistical mechanics do not assume equilibrium, otherwise you could not even develop a theory for equilibrium. Simply formulating what equilibrium is supposed to mean requires one to consider general non-equilibrium states.