Gravity, Entropy, and Cosmology
In Search of Clarity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8398229 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David Wallace (0000-0003-2385-5979, University of Oxford, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2010 |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 513-540 |
| Publication date | 2010-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-0882 • E-ISSN: 1464-3537 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjps/axp048 |
| OpenAlex | W2144420885 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 13 |
| References cited | 3 |
I discuss the statistical mechanics of gravitating systems and in particular its cosmological implications, and argue that many conventional views on this subject in the foundations of statistical mechanics embody significant confusion; I attempt to provide a clearer and more accurate account. In particular, I observe that (i) the role of gravity in entropy calculations must be distinguished from the entropy of gravity, that (ii) although gravitational collapse is entropy-increasing, this is not usually because the collapsing matter itself increases in entropy, and that (iii) the Second Law of thermodynamics does not owe its validity to the statistical mechanics of gravitational collapse. 1. Introduction 2. Three Principles to Set Aside 3. The Irrelevance of ‘Gravitational Entropy’ 4. Entropy of Uniform Self-Gravitating Gas Clouds 5. The Gravothermal Catastrophe 6. Black Hole Entropy as a Special Case 7. Entropy Increase from Gravitation and Nuclear Fusion 8. Thermodynamics in an Expanding Universe 9. The Real Significance of Gravity in Thermodynamics 10. Conclusion
Astronomy · CLARITY · Cosmology · Entropy (arrow of time) · Epistemology · Physics · Statistical physics · Theoretical physics · Thermodynamics · Chemistry · Cosmology and Gravitation Theories · Geophysics and Gravity Measurements · Philosophy · Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
The simplicity of physical laws
On the Direction of Time
Back to Reichenbach
Black Hole Thermodynamics
Ψ-epistemic quantum cosmology
Histories, dynamical laws, and initial conditions −Invariance under time-reversibility and its failure in Markov processes, with application to the second law of thermodynamics and the past hypothesis
The case for black hole thermodynamics part I
The implementation, interpretation, and justification of likelihoods in cosmology
Can the two-time interpretation of quantum mechanics solve the measurement problem
On under-determination in cosmology
Stars and steam engines
The mereology of thermodynamic equilibrium
Fundamentality and Time’s Arrow
| Unique citing works | 13 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,08 |
| Citation span | 2014 - 2025 (12) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 12 |