Syllabus
1) Linear theory: Basic postulates and concepts (entropy production, Onsager's reciprocity relations), various formulations for continuous systems. Conservation laws and balance equations. Relaxation processes. Variational principles. Generalization to small systems. Korteweg, Cahn-Hilliard.
2) Nonlinear theory: Prigogine's evolution criterion, conditions of stability. Phenomenological chemical kinetics. Nonlinear oscillations and self-organized dissipative structures.
3) Rational thermodynamics (Truesdell). Extended rational thermodynamics (Müller, Ruggeri). Extended nonequilibrium thermodynamics (Jou). Applications (EIT).
4) Introduction to GENERIC.
Annotation
Linear and nonlinear nonequilibrium processes. Dissipative structures.
The evolution criterion and conditions of stability. Variational principles.
Quantum and classical kinetic equations. Overview of modern and classical approaches to nonequilibrium single-particle and many-body transport processes.
Several applications and emphasis on experiments.