CERN Colloquium

The smallest possible thermal machines and the foundations of thermodynamics

by Sandu Popescu (University of Bristol - UK)

Europe/Zurich
500/1-001 - Main Auditorium (CERN)

500/1-001 - Main Auditorium

CERN

400
Show room on map
Description

In my talk I raise the question on the fundamental limits to the size of thermal machines – refrigerators, heat pumps and work producing engines - and I will present the smallest possible ones. I will then discuss the issue of a possible complementarity between size and efficiency and show that even the smallest machines could be maximally efficient and I will also present a new point of view over what is work and what do thermal machines actually do. Finally I will present a completely new approach to the foundations of thermodynamics that follows from these results.

Organised by

W. Lerche/TH-SP............................................................ Tea and coffee will be served at 16h00

Webcast
There is a live webcast for this event