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Entropy
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Thermodynamics of Dissipative Structures and Related Emergent Phenomena
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Thermodynamics of Dissipative Structures and Related Emergent Phenomena

A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Thermodynamics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 5525

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hisashi Ozawa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan
Interests: role of thermodynamics in the Earth climate system and other non-equilibrium systems; general interests in pattern formation in dissipative systems; thermodynamic approach to a theory of turbulence; quantitative GAIA hypothesis
Dr. Robert Niven

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of New South Wales, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Interests: Bayesian and maximum entropy methods for the analysis of engineering and scientific systems; theoretical foundations of Bayesian inference; Bayesian estimation and plausible reasoning; entropy-based inference and extremum methods; Bayesian risk assessment; heuristics and methods for the selection of prior probabilities; probabilistic transport and evolution equations and operators
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue welcomes all papers (regular articles, reviews and short communications) that focus on the emergence and formation of dissipative structures in systems far from thermodynamic equilibrium. Target systems can be physical, chemical, biological, or even mathematical. The scope of this Special Issue comprises all kinds of nonlinear non-equilibrium phenomena, from small-scale fluid dynamics to large-scale planetary circulations, as well as physical, chemical and biological kinetics characterized by their evolutional tendency to increase entropy associated with enhanced rates of free energy dissipation. Physical and chemical kinetic processes taking place under highly non-equilibrium circumstances are of particular interest in revealing the mechanism of spontaneous pattern formation and related emergent phenomena. The resultant organization of regular or complex structures as well as scale-invariant morphologies, often referred to as “fractal” structures, are also within the scope of this Special Issue. Both theoretical and application studies aimed at resolving issues found in experiments, observations and numerical model simulations are welcome. We invite contributions from researchers in any discipline working on any of the aforementioned topics.

Dr. Hisashi Ozawa
Dr. Robert Niven
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Entropy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • non-equilibrium thermodynamics
  • physical kinetics
  • dissipative structure
  • entropy production
  • pattern formation
  • nonlinear process
  • emergent phenomena
  • self-organization
  • fractal structure

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2106 KiB  
Article
Thermodynamics of Morphogenesis: Beading and Branching Pattern Formation in Diffusion-Driven Salt Finger Plumes
by Hisashi Ozawa, Sayaka Murayama-Ogino and Axel Kleidon
Entropy 2025, 27(2), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27020106 - 22 Jan 2025
Viewed by 743
Abstract
Spontaneous pattern formation is a universal phenomenon that occurs in purely physical systems, biology, and human societies. Salt fingering due to differential diffusion of heat and salt in seawater is a typical example, although the general principle that governs pattern formation remains unknown. [...] Read more.
Spontaneous pattern formation is a universal phenomenon that occurs in purely physical systems, biology, and human societies. Salt fingering due to differential diffusion of heat and salt in seawater is a typical example, although the general principle that governs pattern formation remains unknown. We show through simple experiments injecting a salt solution into a sucrose solution of equal density that a salt finger exhibits characteristic pattern transitions depending on the injection flow rate. When the rate increases, a linear finger starts meandering, branching, and multiple branching, whereas when the rate is decreased, it produces a beading pattern. These morphological instabilities and associated pattern formation are caused by a local accumulation of kinetic energy that minimizes the flow resistance and maximizes the energy dissipation in the final steady state. We suggest that this energy accumulation mechanism governs a wide variety of pattern formation phenomena in non-equilibrium systems, including morphogenesis of abiotic protocells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics of Dissipative Structures and Related Emergent Phenomena)
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33 pages, 3930 KiB  
Article
The Second Law of Infodynamics: A Thermocontextual Reformulation
by Harrison Crecraft
Entropy 2025, 27(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27010022 - 30 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1967
Abstract
Vopson and Lepadatu recently proposed the Second Law of Infodynamics. The law states that while the total entropy increases, information entropy declines over time. They state that the law has applications over a wide range of disciplines, but they leave many key questions [...] Read more.
Vopson and Lepadatu recently proposed the Second Law of Infodynamics. The law states that while the total entropy increases, information entropy declines over time. They state that the law has applications over a wide range of disciplines, but they leave many key questions unanswered. This article analyzes and reformulates the law based on thermocontextual interpretation (TCI). The TCI generalizes Hamiltonian mechanics by defining states and transitions thermocontextually with respect to an ambient-temperature reference state. The TCI partitions energy into exergy, which can do work on the ambient surroundings, and entropic energy with zero work potential. The TCI is further generalized here to account for a reference observer’s actual knowledge. This enables partitioning exergy into accessible exergy, which is known and accessible for use, and configurational energy, which is knowable but unknown and inaccessible. The TCI is firmly based on empirically validated postulates. The Second Law of thermodynamics and its information-based analog, MaxEnt, are logically derived corollaries. Another corollary is a reformulated Second Law of Infodynamics. It states that an external agent seeks to increase its access to exergy by narrowing its information gap with a potential exergy source. The principle is key to the origin of self-replicating chemicals and life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics of Dissipative Structures and Related Emergent Phenomena)
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17 pages, 491 KiB  
Article
Kinetic Theory with Casimir Invariants—Toward Understanding of Self-Organization by Topological Constraints
by Zensho Yoshida
Entropy 2025, 27(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27010005 - 25 Dec 2024
Viewed by 734
Abstract
A topological constraint, characterized by the Casimir invariant, imparts non-trivial structures in a complex system. We construct a kinetic theory in a constrained phase space (infinite-dimensional function space of macroscopic fields), and characterize a self-organized structure as a thermal equilibrium on a leaf [...] Read more.
A topological constraint, characterized by the Casimir invariant, imparts non-trivial structures in a complex system. We construct a kinetic theory in a constrained phase space (infinite-dimensional function space of macroscopic fields), and characterize a self-organized structure as a thermal equilibrium on a leaf of foliated phase space. By introducing a model of a grand canonical ensemble, the Casimir invariant is interpreted as the number of topological particles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics of Dissipative Structures and Related Emergent Phenomena)
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13 pages, 2721 KiB  
Article
The Relationship Between Astronomical and Developmental Times Emerging in Modeling the Evolution of Agents
by Alexander O. Gusev and Leonid M. Martyushev
Entropy 2024, 26(10), 887; https://doi.org/10.3390/e26100887 - 21 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 831
Abstract
The simplest evolutionary model for catching prey by an agent (predator) is considered. The simulation is performed on the basis of a software-emulated Intel i8080 processor. Maximizing the number of catches is chosen as the objective function. This function is associated with energy [...] Read more.
The simplest evolutionary model for catching prey by an agent (predator) is considered. The simulation is performed on the basis of a software-emulated Intel i8080 processor. Maximizing the number of catches is chosen as the objective function. This function is associated with energy dissipation and developmental time. It is shown that during Darwinian evolution, agents with an initially a random set of processor commands subsequently acquire a successful catching skill. It is found that in the process of evolution, a logarithmic relationship between astronomical and developmental times arises in agents. This result is important for the ideas available in the literature about the close connection of such concepts as time, Darwinian selection, and the maximization of entropy production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics of Dissipative Structures and Related Emergent Phenomena)
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Review

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17 pages, 885 KiB  
Review
Maximum Entropy Production Principle of Thermodynamics for the Birth and Evolution of Life
by Yasuji Sawada, Yasukazu Daigaku and Kenji Toma
Entropy 2025, 27(4), 449; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27040449 - 21 Apr 2025
Viewed by 366
Abstract
Research on the birth and evolution of life are reviewed with reference to the maximum entropy production principle (MEPP). It has been shown that this principle is essential for consistent understanding of the birth and evolution of life. First, a recent work for [...] Read more.
Research on the birth and evolution of life are reviewed with reference to the maximum entropy production principle (MEPP). It has been shown that this principle is essential for consistent understanding of the birth and evolution of life. First, a recent work for the birth of a self-replicative system as pre-RNA life is reviewed in relation to the MEPP. A critical condition of polymer concentration in a local system is reported by a dynamical system approach, above which, an exponential increase of entropy production is guaranteed. Secondly, research works of early stage of evolutions are reviewed; experimental research for the numbers of cells necessary for forming a multi-cellular organization, and numerical research of differentiation of a model system and its relation with MEPP. It is suggested by this review article that the late stage of evolution is characterized by formation of society and external entropy production. A hypothesis on the general route of evolution is discussed from the birth to the present life which follows the MEPP. Some examples of life which happened to face poor thermodynamic condition are presented with thermodynamic discussion. It is observed through this review that MEPP is consistently useful for thermodynamic understanding of birth and evolution of life, subject to a thermodynamic condition far from equilibrium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermodynamics of Dissipative Structures and Related Emergent Phenomena)
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