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Entropy production and dynamical complexity in a low‐order atmospheric model
Author(s) -
Nicolis C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49712555718
Subject(s) - entropy production , attractor , dissipative system , statistical physics , entropy (arrow of time) , mathematics , lyapunov exponent , dynamical systems theory , physics , mathematical analysis , thermodynamics , nonlinear system , quantum mechanics
Lorenz's classical model of thermal convection is analysed from the standpoint of irreversible thermodynamics. the entropy production, describing how dissipative processes are operating within the system, is expressed in terms of the model variables. It is subsequently evaluated in different parts of the attractor and the values so obtained are compared with various indicators of the complexity of the dynamics, such as the local Lyapunov exponents and a local generalization of the Kolmogorov entropy. As it turns out, dissipative processes are most efficient when the number of locally stable directions increases. In particular, when the local Kolmogorov entropy is close to zero (three stable directions) the system can dissipate over the entire spectrum of values available. Finally, it is shown that the evolution on the attractor does not correspond to any extremal property of the entropy production.