TY - JOUR
T1 - Szilard's perpetuum mobile
AU - Hemmo, Meir
AU - Shenker, Orly
PY - 2011/4
Y1 - 2011/4
N2 - In a previous article, we have demonstrated by a general phase space argument that a Maxwellian Demon is compatible with statistical mechanics. In this article, we show how this idea can be put to work in the prevalent model of the Demon, namely, a particle-in-a-box, used, for example, by Szilard and Bennett. In the literature, this model is used in order to show that a Demon is incompatible with statistical mechanics, either classical or quantum. However, we show that a detailed phase space analysis of this model illustrates that aMaxwellian Demon is compatible with statistical mechanics.
AB - In a previous article, we have demonstrated by a general phase space argument that a Maxwellian Demon is compatible with statistical mechanics. In this article, we show how this idea can be put to work in the prevalent model of the Demon, namely, a particle-in-a-box, used, for example, by Szilard and Bennett. In the literature, this model is used in order to show that a Demon is incompatible with statistical mechanics, either classical or quantum. However, we show that a detailed phase space analysis of this model illustrates that aMaxwellian Demon is compatible with statistical mechanics.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79953676271&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/659231
DO - 10.1086/659231
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AN - SCOPUS:79953676271
SN - 0031-8248
VL - 78
SP - 264
EP - 283
JO - Philosophy of Science
JF - Philosophy of Science
IS - 2
ER -