Production of Useful Work in an Isothermal Cycle: A Monte Carlo Simulation of a Locally Nonchaotic Energy Barrier Y. Qiao,1,2,* Z. Shang1 1 Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California – San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A. 2 Department of Structural Engineering, University of California – San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0085, U.S.A. * Corresponding author (Email:
[email protected]; phone: 858-534-3388) Abstract: A Monte Carlo simulation is performed on a billiard-type model system, which contains a locally nonchaotic energy barrier. Without extensive particle collision across the energy barrier, the system steady state is nonequilibrium; that is, the particles follow a non-Boltzmann distribution. Remarkably, as the energy barrier varies in an isothermal cycle, the total produced work is greater than the total consumed work, because of the asymmetry in the cross-influence of the thermally correlated thermodynamic driving forces. Such a phenomenon cannot be explained by the second law of thermodynamics. Similar anomalous effects may be achieved if the barrier is switchable or asymmetric. In essence, the energy barrier is a spontaneously nonequilibrium dimension. It is fundamentally different from Maxwell’s demon, unrelated to the physical nature of information. KEYWORDS: Nonequilibrium; Nonchaotic; The second law of thermodynamics; Energy barrier; Monte Carlo simulation 1. Introduction Randomness is a fundamental concept in statistical mechanics [1,2]. An ergodic and chaotic system always reaches thermodynamic equilibrium, while a nonergodic or nonchaotic system may not [e.g., 3-5]. The latter should be analyzed in the framework of nonequilibrium stochastic thermodynamics [6]. 1 Figure 1.