A Relativistic Entropic Hamiltonian–Lagrangian Approach to the Entropy Production of Spiral Galaxies in Hyperbolic Spacetime

• Published in: Universe (Basel) Vol. 7; no. 9; p. 325
• Main Authors: Parker, Michael C., Jeynes, Chris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2021
• Subjects: Accretion; Conservation laws; Cyclones; Entropy; Equilibrium; galactic evolution; Geometry; info-entropy; Maximum Entropy Production Principle; Principles; Quantitative Geometrical Thermodynamics; Radiation; Spacetime; Stars & galaxies
• ISSN: 2218-1997; 2218-1997
• DOI: 10.3390/universe7090325

Double-spiral galaxies are common in the Universe. It is known that the logarithmic double spiral is a Maximum Entropy geometry in hyperbolic (flat) spacetime that well represents an idealised spiral galaxy, with its central supermassive black hole (SMBH) entropy accounting for key galactic structural features including the stability and the double-armed geometry. Over time the central black hole must accrete mass, with the overall galactic entropy increasing: the galaxy is not at equilibrium. From the associated entropic Euler–Lagrange Equation (enabling the application of Noether’s theorem) we develop analytic expressions for the galactic entropy production of an idealised spiral galaxy showing that it is a conserved quantity, and we also derive an appropriate expression for its relativistic entropic Hamiltonian. We generalise Onsager’s celebrated expression for entropy production and demonstrate that galactic entropy production (entropy production corresponds to the intrinsic dissipation characteristics) is composed of two parts, one many orders of magnitude larger than the other: the smaller is comparable to the Hawking radiation of the central SMBH, while the other is comparable to the high entropy processes occurring within the accretion disks of real SMBHs. We conclude that galaxies cannot be isolated, since even idealised spiral galaxies intrinsically have a non-zero entropy production.