A Simulation of A Toy Model to Explore Time Reversibility 

Thirtha Karmakar
Dr. Taner Edis, Faculty Mentor

This project explores a fundamental question in physics: if the laws of physics are time-reversible, why does time seem to move only forward? We made computer simulations of a toy model where particles move between multiple boxes following simple physical rules. By evolving the system forward and backward in time, we examined how the system behaves according to interactions between particles that affect their probability of moving towards each other. We developed tools to assess and visualize how particles might clump together, using calculations such as the circular mean. The results are all time reversible but the timescale for spontaneous organization can be very large. In the thermodynamic limit, the timescales become infinite, so entropy always increases. 

 

Keywords: Time Reversal , Thermodynamics, Circular Mean

Topic(s):Physics

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA