Thermomechanical Analogy

Abstract

A profound physical analogy can be established between the thermodynamic system undergoing a phase transition and a classical-mechanical point mass moving in a potential field. According to this analogy, the spatial coordinate, x, of a 1d thermodynamic system is analogous $(\dot{ = })$ to the time, t, of the mechanical system; OP η is analogous to the generalized coordinate of the particle; gradient free energy coefficient is analogous to the generalized mass of the particle. In the framework of this analogy, the negative of the homogeneous density of the Gibbs–Landau free energy (−g) is analogous to the mechanical potential function U

$$ U\dot{ = } - g(\eta ), $$