In Search of Entropy

• Authors: J. Letessier , J. Rafelski , A. Tounsi
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Entropy is a quantity characterizing the arrow of time in the evolution of a physical system - in every irreversible process the entropy increases. In elementary interactions such as relativistic collisions of two atomic nuclei there is considerable particle production and hence entropy production. We address here a number of questions which arise naturally in this context. When and how is entropy produced in a quantum process, such as is a nuclear collision? How is the particle production related to entropy production? How does one measure the entropy produced in the reaction? We also consider certain fundamental approaches to the problem of entropy definition in quantum physics.

Keywords

EN

25.75.+r; 05.30.Ch; 12.38.Mh

Discipline

• 05.30.Ch: Quantum ensemble theory
• 12.38.Mh: Quark-gluon plasma(see also 25.75.Nq Quark deconfinement, quark-gluon plasma production and phase transitions in relativistic heavy ion collisions; see also 21.65.Qr Quark matter)

• Publisher: Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Acta Physica Polonica A
• Year: 1994
• Volume: 85
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 699-716

Dates

published

1994-04

Contributors

author

J. Letessier

• Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Hautes Energies, Université Paris 7, Tour 24, 5è ét., 2 Place Jussieu, 75251 Paris CEDEX 05, France

author

J. Rafelski

• Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Hautes Energies, Université Paris 7, Tour 24, 5è ét., 2 Place Jussieu, 75251 Paris CEDEX 05, France
• Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721, USA

author

A. Tounsi

• Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Hautes Energies, Université Paris 7, Tour 24, 5è ét., 2 Place Jussieu, 75251 Paris CEDEX 05, France

Identifiers

DOI

10.12693/APhysPolA.85.699