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arxiv: quant-ph/0101140 · v1 · submitted 2001-01-30 · 🪐 quant-ph

Quantum Approach to a Derivation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics

classification 🪐 quant-ph
keywords closehilbert-spacequantumsecondsystemsthermodynamicalallowedalmost
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We re-interprete the microcanonical conditions in the quantum domain as constraints for the interaction of the "gas-subsystem" under consideration and its environment ("container"). The time-average of a purity-measure is found to equal the average over the respective path in Hilbert-space. We then show that for typical (degenerate or non-degenerate) thermodynamical systems almost all states within the allowed region of Hilbert-space have a local von Neumann-entropy S close to the maximum and a purity P close to its minimum, respectively. Typically thermodynamical systems should therefore obey the second law.

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