MadSci Network: Chemistry |
If a gas in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings is contained with a partition whose thickness is specifically adjusted to allow only the fastest molecules to tunnel through, could a temperature difference spontaneously develop? I.e. could a passive molecular velocity selector be built based on the quantum tunneling effect? If so, could this not be used on a large enough scale to create a sort of heat engine?
Re: Quantum tunneling and violation of 2nd law of thermodynamics
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