Strong Coupling and Nonextensive Thermodynamics

Abstract

We propose a Hamiltonian-based approach to the nonextensive thermodynamics of small systems, where 'small' is a relative term comparing the size of the system to the size of the effective interaction region around it. We show that the effective Hamiltonian approach gives easy accessibility to the thermodynamic properties of systems strongly coupled to their surroundings. The theory does not rely on the classical concept of 'dividing surface' to characterize the system’s interaction with the environment. Instead, it defines an effective interaction region over which a system exchanges extensive quantities with its surroundings, easily producing laws recently shown to be valid at the nanoscale.