Except when otherwise noted, the free energy changes given for methanogenic reactions were calculated from the free energies of formation from the elements of the substrates and products with non-gaseous compounds at 1 M aqueous solution and gaseous compounds in the gaseous state at 1 atmosphere pressure (101 kPa). The free energy changes of formation were taken from Thauer eta/ . (1977). repor...

The effect of different distributions of y-phase precipitates on the martensitic transformation of p Cu-Zn-A1 single crystals is reviewed. The changes of transformation temperatures brought about by the precipitates are related to the changes of the free energy terms included in the thermoelastic balance. In the same way, the evolution of the transformation in samples containing precipitates su...

We show the existence of a high interrelation between the different loops that may appear in a DNA segment. Conformational changes in a chain segment caused by the formation of a particular loop may either promote or prevent the appearance of another. The underlying loop selection mechanism is analyzed by means of a Hamiltonian model from which the looping free energy and the corresponding repr...

We review recent results obtained in the physics of the thermal Casimir force acting between two dielectrics, dielectric and metal, and between metal and semiconductor. The detailed derivation for the low-temperature behavior of the Casimir free energy, pressure and entropy in the configuration of two real dielectric plates is presented. For dielectrics with finite static dielectric permittivit...

The Landau–de Gennes theory provides a successful macroscopic description of nematics. Cornerstone of this theory is a phenomenological expression for the effective free energy as a function of the orientational order parameter. Here, we show how such a macroscopic Landau–de Gennes free energy can systematically be constructed for a microscopic model of liquid crystals formed by interacting mes...

The two surprising features of gravity are (a) the principle of equivalence and (b) the connection between gravity and thermodynamics. Using principle of equivalence and special relativity in the local inertial frame, one could obtain the insight that gravity must possess a geometrical description. I show that, using the same principle of equivalence, special relativity and quantum theory in th...

where z denotes the microscopic configuration and ρeq(z)dz is the equilibrium measure for the microscopic dynamics. In some cases the actual Hamiltonian (total energy) may be expressible in terms of the coarse-grained variables and is strictly conserved, but this is not always the case since some of the energy may in fact be incorporated in the coarse-grained free energy as an “entropy”. The eq...