- #1
spaghetti3451
- 1,344
- 33
Consider the dependence of entropy and of temperature on the reduced Planck's constant (taken from page 23 of Thomas Hartman's lecture notes(http://www.hartmanhep.net/topics2015/) on Quantum Gravity):
$$S \propto \hbar, \qquad \qquad T \propto \hbar.$$
I do not quite see how entropy can depend on the reduced Planck's constant. To give credence to my claim, consider the definition of (statistical) entropy in classical and in quantum systems.
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In a classical system, the (statistical Gibbs) entropy for a macroscopic system (with a discrete set of microstates) is defined as
$$S = -k_\text{B}\,\sum_i p_i \ln \,p_i,$$
where ##k_{\text{B}}## is Boltzmann's constant and ##p_i## is the probability that the system is in microstate ##i## during the system's fluctuations.
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In a quantum system, the (statistical von Neumann) entropy for a macroscopic system (with a discrete set of microstates) is defined as
$$S = -k_\text{B}\,\text{Tr}\ (\rho \ln \rho),$$
where ##k_{\text{B}}## is Boltzmann's constant and ##\rho## is the density matrix of the system.
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How then does entropy depend on the reduced Planck's constant in quantum systems?
Why should temperature also depend on the reduced Planck's constant in quantum systems?
$$S \propto \hbar, \qquad \qquad T \propto \hbar.$$
I do not quite see how entropy can depend on the reduced Planck's constant. To give credence to my claim, consider the definition of (statistical) entropy in classical and in quantum systems.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a classical system, the (statistical Gibbs) entropy for a macroscopic system (with a discrete set of microstates) is defined as
$$S = -k_\text{B}\,\sum_i p_i \ln \,p_i,$$
where ##k_{\text{B}}## is Boltzmann's constant and ##p_i## is the probability that the system is in microstate ##i## during the system's fluctuations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a quantum system, the (statistical von Neumann) entropy for a macroscopic system (with a discrete set of microstates) is defined as
$$S = -k_\text{B}\,\text{Tr}\ (\rho \ln \rho),$$
where ##k_{\text{B}}## is Boltzmann's constant and ##\rho## is the density matrix of the system.
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How then does entropy depend on the reduced Planck's constant in quantum systems?
Why should temperature also depend on the reduced Planck's constant in quantum systems?