Global Thermodynamics for Heat Conduction Systems

Non-equilibrium phenomena are typically addressed through continuum descriptions based on local equilibrium and linear response theory, such as hydrodynamics. While effective, these approaches often overlook global characteristics. We propose Global Thermodynamics as a minimal-variable framework to describe weak non-equilibrium systems, focusing on two-phase coexistence under weak heat flux.

By introducing a unique global temperature and extending entropy to non-equilibrium systems with a non-additive term, the framework predicts phenomena like metastable state stabilization—beyond the scope of traditional heat conduction equations. This talk will outline the framework, its key predictions, and validation efforts through numerical simulations and experiments.

(This is a joint seminar with Informatin Theory Study Group.)