Mesoscopic Thermodynamics

This book presents different thermodynamic approaches in the area of constitutive theory: thermodynamics of irreversible processes, rational thermodynamics, and extended thermodynamics. These different approaches are analyzed with respect to their presuppositions, as well as to their results, and each method is applied to several important examples. In many cases these examples are archetypes for numerous technologically important materials; i.e. complex materials having an internal structure. Some of the examples dealt with in this book are liquid crystals, colloid suspensions, and fiber suspensions.

This book gives a general introduction to theoretically understand thermodynamic properties and response to applied fields of mesoscopic systems that closely relate to experiments. The book clarifies many conceptual and practical problems associated with the Larmor clock and thus makes it a viable approach to study these properties. The book is written pedagogically so that a graduate or undergraduate student can follow it.