Thermodynamics and Relativity: A Revised Interpretation of the Concepts of Reversibility and Irreversibility

TL;DR

This paper challenges traditional thermodynamic views on work and irreversibility, proposing a revised interpretation that emphasizes a close connection between thermodynamics and relativity.

Contribution

It offers a new perspective on thermodynamics by revising the concepts of reversibility and irreversibility in light of relativistic principles.

Findings

Reversibility may not always produce greater work than irreversibility under strict physical conventions.

Thermodynamics and relativity are more interconnected than traditionally thought.

The conventional thermodynamic propositions might need to be reconsidered in a relativistic context.

Abstract

It is generally admitted in thermodynamics that, for a given change in volume, the work done by a system is greater in conditions of reversibility than in conditions of irreversibility. If the basic conventions of physics are strictly respected, it seems that this proposition needs to be reversed. Beyond this formal aspect, the discussion consolidates the idea that thermodynamics and relativity are closely connected.