Generalized molecular chaos hypothesis and H-theorem: Problem of constraints and amendment of nonextensive statistical mechanics

Quite unexpectedly, kinetic theory is found to specify the correct definition of average value to be employed in nonextensive statistical mechanics. It is shown that the normal average is consistent with the generalized Stosszahlansatz (i.e., molecular chaos hypothesis) and the associated H-theorem, whereas the q-average widely used in the relevant literature is not. In the course of the analysis, the distributions with finite cut-off factors are rigorously treated. Accordingly, the formulation of nonextensive statistical mechanics is amended based on the normal average. In addition, the Shore-Johnson theorem, which supports the use of the q-average, is carefully reexamined, and it is found that one of the axioms may not be appropriate for systems to be treated within the framework of nonextensive statistical mechanics.Comment: 22 pages, no figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Nonextensive Thermostatistics and the H-Theorem

The kinetic foundations of Tsallis' nonextensive thermostatistics are investigated through Boltzmann's transport equation approach. Our analysis follows from a nonextensive generalization of the ``molecular chaos hypothesis". For $q>0$, the $q$-transport equation satisfies an $H$-theorem based on Tsallis entropy. It is also proved that the collisional equilibrium is given by Tsallis' $q$-nonextensive velocity distribution.Comment: 4 pages, no figures, corrected some typo

Verschraenkung versus Stosszahlansatz: Disappearance of the Thermodynamic Arrow in a High-Correlation Environment

The crucial role of ambient correlations in determining thermodynamic behavior is established. A class of entangled states of two macroscopic systems is constructed such that each component is in a state of thermal equilibrium at a given temperature, and when the two are allowed to interact heat can flow from the colder to the hotter system. A dilute gas model exhibiting this behavior is presented. This reversal of the thermodynamic arrow is a consequence of the entanglement between the two systems, a condition that is opposite to molecular chaos and shown to be unlikely in a low-entropy environment. By contrast, the second law is established by proving Clausius' inequality in a low-entropy environment. These general results strongly support the expectation, first expressed by Boltzmann and subsequently elaborated by others, that the second law is an emergent phenomenon that requires a low-entropy cosmological environment, one that can effectively function as an ideal information sink.Comment: 4 pages, REVTeX

Boltzmann's H-theorem, its limitations, and the birth of (fully) statistical mechanics

A comparison is made of the traditional Loschmidt (reversibility) and Zermelo (recurrence) objections to Boltzmann's H-theorem, and its simplified variant in the Ehrenfests' 1912 wind-tree model. The little-cited 1896 (pre-recurrence) objection of Zermelo (similar to an 1889 argument due to Poincare) is also analysed. Significant differences between the objections are highlighted, and several old and modern misconceptions concerning both them and the H-theorem are clarified. We give particular emphasis to the radical nature of Poincare's and Zermelo's attack, and the importance of the shift in Boltzmann's thinking in response to the objections as a whole.Comment: 40 page

Generalized Statistics Variational Perturbation Approximation using q-Deformed Calculus

A principled framework to generalize variational perturbation approximations (VPA's) formulated within the ambit of the nonadditive statistics of Tsallis statistics, is introduced. This is accomplished by operating on the terms constituting the perturbation expansion of the generalized free energy (GFE) with a variational procedure formulated using \emph{q-deformed calculus}. A candidate \textit{q-deformed} generalized VPA (GVPA) is derived with the aid of the Hellmann-Feynman theorem. The generalized Bogoliubov inequality for the approximate GFE are derived for the case of canonical probability densities that maximize the Tsallis entropy. Numerical examples demonstrating the application of the \textit{q-deformed} GVPA are presented. The qualitative distinctions between the \textit{q-deformed} GVPA model \textit{vis-\'{a}-vis} prior GVPA models are highlighted.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figure

The relativistic statistical theory and Kaniadakis entropy: an approach through a molecular chaos hypothesis

We have investigated the proof of the $H$ theorem within a manifestly covariant approach by considering the relativistic statistical theory developed in [G. Kaniadakis, Phy. Rev. E {\bf 66}, 056125, 2002; {\it ibid.} {\bf 72}, 036108, 2005]. As it happens in the nonrelativistic limit, the molecular chaos hypothesis is slightly extended within the Kaniadakis formalism. It is shown that the collisional equilibrium states (null entropy source term) are described by a $\kappa$ power law generalization of the exponential Juttner distribution, e.g., $f(x,p)\propto (\sqrt{1+ \kappa^2\theta^2}+\kappa\theta)^{1/\kappa}\equiv\exp_\kappa\theta$, with $\theta=\alpha(x)+\beta_\mu p^\mu$, where $\alpha(x)$ is a scalar, $\beta_\mu$ is a four-vector, and $p^\mu$ is the four-momentum. As a simple example, we calculate the relativistic $\kappa$ power law for a dilute charged gas under the action of an electromagnetic field $F^{\mu\nu}$. All standard results are readly recovered in the particular limit $\kappa\to 0$.Comment: 7 pages; to be published in EPJ