Dissipative system

Another meaning of "dissipative system" is one that dissipates heat, see heat dissipation.

A dissipative system (or dissipative structure) is an open system which is operating far from thermodynamic equilibrium within an environment that exchanges energy, matter or entropy. A dissipative system is characterized by the spontaneous appearance of a complex, sometimes chaotic, structure. The term dissipative structures was coined by Ilya Prigogine. It is also called steady-state open system and nonequilibrium open system.

A simple example is the Bénard cells. More complex examples include lasers, Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction, or even life itself.

A formal, mathematical definition of a dissipative system as the action of a group on a measurable set is given in the article on wandering sets.

Quantum dissipative systems

As quantum mechanics relies heavily on Hamiltonian mechanics, it is not intrinsically able to describe dissipative systems. In principle one can couple weakly the system, say an oscillator, to a bath, i.e., an assembly of many oscillators in thermal equilibrium with a broad band spectrum, and trace (average) over the bath. This yields a master equation which is a special case of a more general setting called the Lindblad equation.

Dissipative Structures Pertaining to Lost Energy

Dissipative Structures have a practical use in every day life. Your coin jar. Your alarm clock. Rain gutters. What's most important about any dissipative structure is this: energy otherwise wasted, is directed and put to more productive use. It's important to note that dissipative structures come about from an action or system that is inefficient. Working out and recording your progress: dissipative structure. It's how energy spewing from a system otherwise not collected and used, is directed for productive purposes. Rain gutters.

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Quantum dissipative systems

Dissipative Structures Pertaining to Lost Energy

See also