On the Entropy of a One-Dimensional Gas with and without Mixing Using Sinai Billiard

A one-dimensional gas comprising N point particles undergoing elastic collisions within a finite space described by a Sinai billiard generating identical dynamical trajectories are calculated and analyzed with regard to strict extensivity of the entropy definitions of Boltzmann–Gibbs. Due to the collisions, trajectories of gas particles are strongly correlated and exhibit both chaotic and periodic properties. Probability distributions for the position of each particle in the one-dimensional gas can be obtained analytically, elucidating that the entropy in this special case is extensive at any given number N. Furthermore, the entropy obtained can be interpreted as a measure of the extent of interactions between molecules. The results obtained for the non-mixable one-dimensional system are generalized to mixable one- and two-dimensional systems, the latter by a simple example only providing similar findings.ISSN:1099-430