非对称有限热源之间热机循环的基本热力学约束

为讨论更一般情形中有限热源之间的热力学约束，探讨了在2个具有非对称热容有限热源之间工作的热机循环问题.假定热源热容C满足德拜定律C∝Tⁿ，高低温热源不对称体现在它们关于温度(T)的幂指数(n)不同.对于通常的固体材料，n由材料的空间维度和所处温度区间决定；在低温热源与高温热源初始热容比很大或很小的2个极限区域，证明了热机最大功率效率关于最大功效率的函数具有不依赖于热源维度的普适形式.在数值上探讨了2热源初始热容大小对称而热容(关于温度变化)行为不对称的特殊情况，结果显示，最大功效率和最大功率效率随高温热源维度的增大而升高，而关于低温热源维度变化的单调性则与低高温热源的初始温度比T_L/T_H有关.这一结果表明，若将有限热源的热容性质纳入其间热机循环的优化考量，则循环在低温端的优化方向(n在给定区间内的大小选择)要由热源初始温度所确定的卡诺效率η_C≡1-T_L/T_H决定.     

First integrals of the axisymmetric shape equation of lipid membranes

The shape equation of lipid membranes is a fourth-order partial differential equation. Under the axisymmetric condition, this equation was transformed into a second-order ordinary differential equation(ODE) by Zheng and Liu(Phys. Rev.E 48 2856(1993)). Here we try to further reduce this second-order ODE to a first-order ODE. First, we invert the usual process of variational calculus, that is, we construct a Lagrangian for which the ODE is the corresponding Euler–Lagrange equation. Then, we seek symmetries of this Lagrangian according to the Noether theorem. Under a certain restriction on Lie groups of the shape equation, we find that the first integral only exists when the shape equation is identical to the Willmore equation, in which case the symmetry leading to the first integral is scale invariance. We also obtain the mechanical interpretation of the first integral by using the membrane stress tensor.     

Exploring fundamental laws of classical mechanics via predicting the orbits of planets based on neural networks

Neural networks have provided powerful approaches to solve various scientific problems. Many of them are even difficult for human experts who are good at accessing the physical laws from experimental data. We investigate whether neural networks can assist us in exploring the fundamental laws of classical mechanics from data of planetary motion. Firstly, we predict the orbits of planets in the geocentric system using the gate recurrent unit, one of the common neural networks. We find that the precision of the prediction is obviously improved when the information of the Sun is included in the training set. This result implies that the Sun is particularly important in the geocentric system without any prior knowledge, which inspires us to gain Copernicus' heliocentric theory. Secondly, we turn to the heliocentric system and make successfully mutual predictions between the position and velocity of planets. We hold that the successful prediction is due to the existence of enough conserved quantities (such as conservations of mechanical energy and angular momentum) in the system. Our research provides a new way to explore the existence of conserved quantities in mechanics system based on neural networks.     

Challenges in the theoretical investigations of lipid membrane configurations

We report some key results in the theoretical investigations of configurations of lipid membranes and present several challenges in this field,which involve(i)the exact solutions to the shape equation of lipid vesicles,(ii)the exact solutions to the governing equations of open lipid membranes,(iii)the neck condition of two-phase vesicles in the budding state,(iv) the nonlocal theory of membrane elasticity,and(v)the relationship between the symmetry and the magnitude of the free energy.     

Recent advance on the efficiency at maximum power of heat engines

This review reports several key advances on the theoretical investigations of efficiency at maximum power of heat engines in the past five years. The analytical results of efficiency at maximum power for the Curzon-Ahlborn heat engine, the stochastic heat engine constructed from a Brownian particle, and Feynman's ratchet as a heat engine are presented. It is found that: the efficiency at maximum power exhibits universal behavior at small relative temperature differences; the lower and the upper bounds might exist under quite general conditions; and the problem of efficiency at maximum power comes down to seeking for the minimum irreversible entropy production in each finite-time isothermal process for a given time.     

Bounds of Efficiency at Maximum Power for Normal-, Sub- and Super-Dissipative Carnot-Like Heat Engines

The Carnot-like heat engines are classified into three types (normal-, sub- and, super-dissipative) according to relations between the minimum irreversible entropy production in the "isothermal" processes and the time for completing those processes. The efficiencies at maximum power of normal-, sub- and super-dissipative Carnot-like heat engines are proved to be bounded between η C /2 and η C /(2 η C ), η C /2 and η C , 0 and η C /(2 η C ), respectively. These bounds are also shared by linear, sub- and super-linear irreversible Carnot-like engines [Tu and Wang, Europhys. Lett. 98 (2012) 40001] although the dissipative engines and the irreversible ones are inequivalent to each other.     

小系统的非平衡统计力学与随机热力学

热力学是一个古老的课题,古典热力学以宏观的具有大粒子数的系统为研究对象,自17世纪以来,科学家们构建了热力学的完备公理化体系。将热力学推广至小系统是近三十年来的研究前沿。文章介绍小系统的非平衡统计力学以及小系统的随机热力学。作为研究案例,利用时间依赖的谐振子势场控制单个粒子来构造随机热机的类卡诺循环,并发现该热机最大功率对应的效率等于1-Tc/Th,其中Tc和Th分别对应于低温热库和高温热库的温度。     

彭桓武先生与青年研究生

在考入中国科学院理论物理研究所做研究生之前,我们就从各种渠道得知,彭桓武先生早年是清华大学物理系的“四杰”之一,研究生毕业不久,即远涉重洋赴英国爱丁堡拜师马克斯·玻恩从事固体物理研究,之后受薛定谔之聘两次前往都柏林高等研究院,与海特勒合作从事介子物理研究,还与玻恩合作研究量子场论,取得当时国际知名的研究成果.1947年回国后,转向核物理和核工程,带出一批又红又专的研究生,并带领他们开展我国反应堆和核武器理论设计工作,为我国“两弹一星”研制做出巨大的历史性贡献,是我们心目中功劳大、学问大的大师.彭先生为了祖国的核事…     

Challenges in theoretical investigations of configurations of lipid membranes

We report some key results in the theoretical investigations of configurations of lipid membranes and present several challenges in this field, which involve (i) the exact solutions to the shape equation of lipid vesicles, (ii) the exact solutions to the governing equations of open lipid membranes, (iii) the neck condition of two-phase vesicles in the budding state, (iv) the nonlocal theory of membrane elasticity, and (v) the relationship between the symmetry and the magnitude of the free energy.     

非同型热机的非线性响应关系及其最大功率对应的效率?

现有的典型热机模型均表现出同型性:对于循环热机而言,热机的工质与高温热库和低温热库之间的热交换规律具有相同的函数形式;对于自治热机来说,正向速率流和逆向速率流遵从相同的函数形式满足这类条件的热机被称为同型热机.本文提出非同型热机的概念,着重研究非同型循环热机,即热机的工质与高温热库和低温热库之间的热交换规律具有不同的函数形式,并导出这类热机的非线性响应关系:J_m=LA[1+ΛλA-δ(1+λ~2)/2A]+O(A~3),其中J_m和A分别是热机的机械流和亲合力,L和Λ与一阶和二阶昂萨格系数相关,λ和δ分别代表热机的非对称度和非同型度.本文导出非同型循环热机最大功率对应的效率为ηmaxP=ηC/2+η~2/8+2λ(1-Λβξ)+δ(1+λ~2)βξ/16η_C~2+O(η_C~3),其中ηC代表卡诺效率,β是加权逆温度,ξ是流过热机的热流的特征能量.由此可见,最大功率时热机取普适效率(ηC/2+η_C~2/8)的充要条件为2λ(1-Λβξ)+δ(1+λ~2)βξ=0.这表明非同型循环热机不满足现有文献中热机最大功率对应效率存在普适性的充分条件.