Linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics of periodic processes and chemical oscillations

Onsager’s phenomenological equations successfully describe irreversible thermodynamic processes. They assume a symmetric coupling matrix between thermodynamic fluxes and forces. It is easily shown that the antisymmetric part of a coupling matrix does not contribute to dissipation. Therefore, entropy production is exclusively governed by the symmetric matrix even in the presence of antisymmetric terms. In this work we focus on the antisymmetric contributions which describe isentropic oscillations and well-defined equations of motion. The formalism contains variables that are equivalent to momenta, and coefficients that are analogous to an inertial mass. We apply this formalism to simple problems such as an oscillating piston and the oscillation in an electrical LC-circuit. We show that isentropic oscillations are possible even close to equilibrium in the linear limit and one does not require far-from equilibrium situations. One can extend this formalism to other pairs of variables, including chemical systems with oscillations. In isentropic thermodynamic systems all extensive and intensive variables including temperature can display oscillations reminiscent of adiabatic waves.