Folks,
Apart from the definitional matter, energy and information are intimately
related to each other. My only concern here will be to call some attention
to the issue of information in relation to energy, I would hope.
Energy conceived in the first law of thermodynamics on energy
transformation is informational in precipitating a new type of energy
carrier through cohesive interactions acting among the pre-existing energy
carriers. Energy transformation is informational in making a new difference.
A principal energy carrier met with in material processes is a Planck's
energy quantum. Nonetheless, a Planck's energy quantum does not transform
itself within linear quantum mechanics, though it can yield a macroscopic
coherence by way of a linear superposition of each microscopic quantum. If
the relative time interval for the occurrence of nonlinear quantum coherence
is limited, the likely quantum coherence to occur would be at most of a
linear type allowing only a linear superposition. In contrast, appearance or
emergence of a new quantum of interest may be expected from nonlinear
quantum coherence of a lasting type.
One concrete example demonstrating a nonlinear quantum coherence of a
lasting type is a reaction cycle functioning as a quantum as a heat engine.
The citric acid cycle running in the presence of temperature gradients alone
without recourse to enzymes of biological origin is internally coherent only
nonlinearly, which Atsushi Nemoto and myself observed in my lab. The
nonlinearity of the reaction cycle is in the robustness of the cycle itself,
such that the cycle has the capacity of resilience even in the presence of
adverse or hostile disturbances from the outside, without responding to the
latter merely linearly.
Quantum as a heat engine is undoubtedly an energy carrier, but more than
that. It is also informational in that there are almost innumerable rich
varieties of distinguishable quanta as heat engines that are alternatively
called organisms.
One attempt for addressing nonlinear quantum coherence underlying a
quantum as a heat engine is in reference to its classicality. Classical
objects do not exhibit quantum entanglement holding linear quantum
coherence. Despite that, any classical object, whether inorganic or organic,
is quantum mechanical in its molecular makeup, and can sometimes exhibit an
enormous coherence internally. Here enters nonlinear quantum coherence. It
prohibits the entanglement of linear quantum coherence like classical
objects. In addition, it also demonstrates the robustness of the
organization as facing the possible adverse influences coming from the
surroundings, while exhibiting a contrast to classical objects conceived in
classical sciences in which the robustness of the objects is always sought
in the form of boundary conditions of external origin.
One merit of referring to information in the realm of material sciences
is that it has the capacity of crossing over the boundary between classical
and quantum sciences rather freely in both ways.
A bit lengthy posting, indeed.
Cheers,
Koichiro
Received on Wed Sep 28 14:26:33 2005
