Order from disorder in closed systems via time-reversal violation

Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory - Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA

^a tjgoldman@post.harvard.edu

Received: 3 January 2012
Accepted: 25 February 2012

Abstract

Definitions of entropy usually assume time-reversal (T) invariance of interactions, yet microscopically T is known to be violated. We present a detailed computational example of (uncharged) particle species separation (Maxwell demon) using an interaction that violates both parity (P) and T so that PT is preserved, consistent with the CPT invariance required in quantum field theory (C is charge conjugation). This illustrates how T-violating forces can produce more organized states from disorganized ones, contrary to expectations based on increase of entropy. We also outline several scenarios in which T-violating forces could lead to an organized state in the early Universe, starting from a still earlier disorganized state.