The granular Brownian ratchet: carrying out a historical thought experiment
Résumé
We present an experimental realisation at macroscopic scale of the storied Brownian ratchet, which is an illustration of the Maxwell's demon. In our mechanism, the rotation of a centimetrescale 1D Brownian object in a granular gas is detected by an electromechanical converter (dynamo), generating a voltage proportional to its angular velocity. The current generated by this random rotation is rectified by an electronic device (demon), such that only positive current passes. Eventually, work is produced. The advantage of such a macroscopic setup is to allow measurement of all the observables per time unit: useful power (work), heat taken from the bath, and finally the efficiency of the equivalent heat engine. The feedback allowing the conversion from heat into work, expresses as a bias on the Brownian motion.
Domaines
Physique [physics]
Fichier principal
article_marc3-22.pdf (1.9 Mo)
Télécharger le fichier
fig1.pdf (1.41 Mo)
Télécharger le fichier
fig2.pdf (128 Ko)
Télécharger le fichier
fig3.pdf (92.96 Ko)
Télécharger le fichier
fig4.pdf (26.22 Ko)
Télécharger le fichier
fig5.pdf (25.03 Ko)
Télécharger le fichier
fig6.pdf (22.46 Ko)
Télécharger le fichier
| Origine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
|---|