Encyclopedia > Dissipative structures

  Article Content

Dissipative structures

Dissipative structures are highly ordered, stable systems operating far from equilibrium. They are characterized by the appearance of stability, but are continually changing. A simple example is a whirlpool[?]. While a similar shape is maintained water is continually moving through. More complex examples include lasers, Bénard cells[?], and even life itself. The term dissipative structures was coined by Ilya Prigogine.



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
Reformed churches

... (1598), the effect of which was to establish regions in which Protestants could live unmolested. These areas became centers of political resistance under which th ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 23.2 ms