Nanotermodinamika

Abstract

This work presents a theory that goes beyond the scope of Classical Thermodynamics. It is named Nanothermodynamics, and it was created and developed by physicist Terrell Hill in the 1960s. In essence, it includes the necessary tools for the study of small systems, by means of a thermodynamic potential known as the subdivision potential. In fact, it enables the construction of the "nanocanonical" statistical ensemble, by introducing a distinctive degree of freedom related to its distribution of small systems. Through examples, we shall emphasize the importance of taking account of finite size effects in the nanothermodynamic region. With that being said, undergraduates taking a course on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics will find it rewarding to understand and internalize the fundamentals of Nanothermodynamics. Even if it has remained abandoned and left aside for many years, Hill’s theory has nowadays proved useful to scientists of wide-ranging areas for the advancement of their research, such as in Chemical Physics and Biology.