The metric geometry of near equilibrium irreversible thermodynamics

摘要

We present a geometrical representation of irreversible thermodynamics in the near equilibrium domain, developed in the spirit of Weinholdrsquo;s method for equilibrium thermodynamics. The Onsager reciprocity relation defines a scalar product for a linear metric space when the first differentials of thermodynamic forces are associated with elements of the abstract space. The values of the scalar product correspond to the Onsager phenomenological coefficients, which relate forces and flows in the linear region.