Experimental Test of a Second Law Paradox

D.P. Sheehan

Dept. of Physics, University of San Diego

In 2000, Duncan proposed a simple thermodynamic paradox: a sealed blackbody cavity contains a diatomic gas and a radiometer whose apposing vane surfaces dissociate the dimer and recombine the monomers to different degrees [1,2]. Owing to differing desorption rates of the dimers and monomers, there arise between the vane faces permanent pressure and temperature differences, either of which can be harnessed to perform work, in conflict with the second law of thermodynamics [3]. This paper reports on the first experimental realization of this paradox [4], involving the dissociation of low-pressure hydrogen gas on high-temperature refractory metals (tungsten and rhenium). The results, corroborated by other laboratory studies [5] and supported by theory [6,7], confirm Duncan’s paradoxical temperature difference and point to physics beyond the traditional understanding of the second law. Potential applications of these results and current research to extend them to room temperature will be discussed.

[1] T.L. Duncan, Phys. Rev. E 61, 4661 (2000).

[2] D.P. Sheehan, Phys. Rev. E 61, 4662 (2000).

[3] V. Capek and D.P. Sheehan, {\em Challenges to the Second Law of Thermodynamics (Theory and Experiment)}; Vol. 146 Fundamental Theories of Physics Series, (Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 2005).

[4] D.P. Sheehan, D.P., D.J. Mallin, J.T. Garamella, and W.F. Sheehan, Found. Phys. 44, 235 (2014).

[5] D.P. Sheehan, Phys. Lett. A 280, 185 (2001).

[6] D.P. Sheehan, Phys. Rev. E 57, 6660 (1998).

[7] D.P. Sheehan, Phys. Rev. E 88, 032125 (2013).

Recorded at the 33rd annual SSE Conference in 2014 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport,

Burlingame, California, USA.

Join the SSE to support to support the Society’s commitment to maintain an open professional forum for researchers at the edge of conventional science: https://www.scientificexploration.org/join

The SSE provides a forum for original research into cutting edge and unconventional areas. Views and opinions belong only to the speakers, and are not necessarily endorsed by the SSE.

Published on November 18, 2018