This report explores the properties of two unusual heat engines. The first, the black hole engine, operates between two thermal reservoirs consisting of black holes and extracts energy from the emitted Hawking radiation. The unusual features of this engine are explored. The second engine, the quantum Szilard engine, is used to understand why the violation of the second law of thermodynamics by a quantum Maxwell’s demon turns out not to be the case.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Dargie, Maxwell

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 105866
• E-project-042723-102514

Advisor

• Aravind, Padmanabhan K.

Year

• 2023

Date created

• 2023-04-27

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Physics

Source

• E-project-042723-102514

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2023-06-18