Does anyone develop the idea of embedded energy such as potential energy characteristic of different configurations relating different energy potential of states measured by entropy degeneracy
Based on the provided sources, several authors develop ideas linking embedded or potential energy to configurations and entropy degeneracy, though they use varying terminology such as “bound energy,” “binding forces,” and “morphic tension.”
Here is how these concepts are developed across the collection:
1. Russ Abbott: Binding Forces and “Entityness”
Abbott explicitly connects the formation of “entities” (configurations) to binding forces and energy release, effectively describing an “embedded energy” concept.
• Binding Energy and Entropy: Abbott argues that entities (e.g., atoms, nuclei) exist because of binding forces that hold them together. When components aggregate to form an entity, the entropy of the new entity is strictly lower than the entropy of its separate components because the binding limits the accessible states (degeneracy)[1][2].
• Energy Release: This reduction in local entropy (ordering) requires the expulsion of entropy into the environment, often accompanied by a release of energy (e.g., heat). He notes that the mass of a bound entity (like a helium nucleus) is less than the sum of its parts; the difference represents the binding energy released during formation[1][2].
• Metric of “Entityness”: Abbott proposes defining the “degree of entityness” as the amount of energy required to separate a configuration back into its components. This serves as a measure of the energy “embedded” in the configuration[1][2].
2. Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen & T. Sherman: “Bound Energy”
Georgescu-Roegen and Sherman develop the concept of “bound energy” as a form of energy embedded in a system’s configuration that is unavailable for work, directly linked to high entropy.
• Bound vs. Free Energy: They distinguish between “free energy” (ordered structure, available for work) and “bound energy” (disordered distribution, unavailable). Entropy is defined as an index of the relative amount of bound energy in a structure[3][4].
• Dissipation: As free energy is used, it dissipates and becomes “bound,” meaning it is essentially “embedded” into the random thermal motion or internal configuration of the system in a way that cannot be easily retrieved[3][5].
• Latent Heat as Configurational Energy: Sherman notes that “latent heat” (absorbed during phase changes like melting) is energy used to rearrange atomic interactions (disgregation). This energy becomes embedded in the new liquid configuration, increasing its entropy without raising its temperature[6].
3. Fold Theory: Morphic Tension and Entropy
The “Fold Theory” source presents a highly theoretical framework that redefines thermodynamic concepts in terms of geometric and recursive structures.
• Morphic Tension as Potential: This theory introduces “morphic tension” as a local measure of coherence deviation, serving as an analogue to internal energy or potential energy[7][8].
• Morphic Entropy: It defines “morphic entropy” as the degeneracy of “fold-consistent extensions” (the number of recursive paths a structure can take). Entropy is treated not as a fundamental quantity but as a derived measure of “structural uncertainty” or the “degeneracy of admissible recursive extensions”[9][10].
• Relation: The theory posits a direct relationship where “informational heat” is the morphic tension dissipated through entropy increase. Thus, the “potential” of a state (tension) is inextricably linked to the breakdown of its structural degeneracy (entropy)[7][11].
4. Standard Statistical Thermodynamics: Residual Entropy
Standard texts in the collection (Atkins, Ben-Naim, Dugdale) discuss embedded energy in the form of residual entropy and configurational degeneracy in crystals.
• Degeneracy at Absolute Zero: Atkins and Ben-Naim explain that at absolute zero (T=0), a perfect crystal should have zero entropy (W=1). However, some substances (like CO or ice) retain “residual entropy” because they can exist in multiple distinct molecular orientations (degeneracy D>1) that have virtually the same energy[12].
• Frozen Configurations: This residual entropy represents a “frozen” disordered configuration. The energy difference between these configurations might be negligible, but the potential energy characteristic of the lattice structure allows these specific high-degeneracy states to persist[13][14].
Summary Table
| Author/Source | Concept Name | Relationship to Entropy Degeneracy |
|---|---|---|
| Abbott | Binding Energy | Forming a bound entity (configuration) reduces local entropy (degeneracy) and releases energy; “entityness” is the energy needed to reverse this. |
| Georgescu-Roegen | Bound Energy | Entropy measures the fraction of energy that is “bound” (unavailable/embedded) in the chaotic distribution of matter. |
| Fold Theory | Morphic Tension | Morphic tension (potential) dissipates into “informational heat” as morphic entropy (degeneracy of recursive paths) increases. |
| Sherman | Latent Heat | Energy absorbed during phase transitions rearranges molecular configurations (“disgregation”), increasing potential energy and entropy. |
| Atkins/Ben-Naim | Residual Entropy | ”Frozen” configurational degeneracy at T=0 in crystals, representing a state where multiple orientations (microstates) coexist. |
References
[1] Abbott - Emergence entities entropy and binding forces.pdf [2] Emergence entities entropy and binding forces.pdf [3] Roegen - The Entropy Law and the Economic Process.pdf [4] Roegen - The Entropy Law and the Economic Process.pdf [5] [Book] Sherman - Energy, Entropy, and the Flow of Nature.pdf [6] [Book] Sherman - Energy, Entropy, and the Flow of Nature.pdf [7] Fold Theory VII Thermodynamics Information and the Arrow of Time.pdf [8] Fold Theory VII Thermodynamics Information and the Arrow of Time.pdf [9] Fold Theory VII Thermodynamics Information and the Arrow of Time.pdf [10] Fold Theory VII Thermodynamics Information and the Arrow of Time.pdf [11] Fold Theory VII Thermodynamics Information and the Arrow of Time.pdf [12] [Book] Atkins - The Laws of Thermodynamics A Very Short Introduction.pdf [13] [Book] Atkins - The Laws of Thermodynamics A Very Short Introduction.pdf [14] [Book] Dalal - Thermodynamics - II.pdf