Abstract
In this paper I review some applications of nonequilibrium thermodynamics to planetary science. Of particular importance are the horizontal and vertical transports of heat in planetary atmospheres. It has been noted that Titan and Mars, like the Earth, appear to have equator-to-pole heat transports consistent with a Maximum Entropy Production principle. The transport of heat by convection in the atmospheres and interiors of the planets can be viewed in heat engine terms, and useful insights gained by considering the irreversibilities in these systems. Even bodies in space without an atmosphere can act as heat engines, their orbits being modified by the Yarkovsky effect wherein sunlight is downconverted into thermal radiation which is reradiated anisotropically – a rocket using thermal photons as propellant. Finally, spacefaring civilizations may seek to maximize the production of entropy from their parent stars by erecting a Dyson sphere in order to reject its power at a minimum temperature.
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Lorenz, R.D. 12 Entropy Production in the Planetary Context. In: Kleidon, A., Lorenz, R.D. (eds) Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics and the Production of Entropy. Understanding Complex Systems. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11672906_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11672906_12
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-22495-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-32359-4
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