Transport Processes and Thermodynamic Equilibrium

Abstract

THERE is an error in my article in Nature under the above title¹. The error occurs at the point where the chemical potential μ is introduced as an undetermined multiplier and is in equation (7), the restriction on the volumes of the various parts of the system in a virtual reversible infinitesimal displacement of the system at constant total volume, mass, and entropy. The restriction given, that is, is appropriate when there are no long range gravitational or electrostatic potential forces, whereas for the increment in the total energy arising from such forces to be Σ_iφ_i δM _i , a much stronger restriction must be applied, namely, for every region i,