Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
976450 Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications 2008 5 Pages PDF
Abstract
We employ the covariant version of a systematic framework of nonequilibrium thermodynamics to clarify the role of entropy in the classical theory of gravitation. An expression for the global entropy is identified naturally from the covariant formulation, and a dual role of the Einstein equation as a fundamental evolution equation and as a thermodynamic equation of state follows immediately. The covariant time integral of the entropy is a more fundamental quantity than the entropy itself. In the absence of matter, the gravitational entropy alone cannot generate any irreversible processes. Some implications for the structure of a quantum theory of gravity are discussed.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Mathematics Mathematical Physics
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