Lars Onsager

Lars Onsager was a Norwegian-American physical chemist whose work established reciprocal relations in nonequilibrium thermodynamics and advanced the theory of electrolyte solutions.

Thermodynamic force: A gradient or other thermodynamic imbalance that drives a system away from equilibrium. Onsager related such forces to the fluxes they produce.
Onsager reciprocal relations: Relations stating that cross-coefficients for coupled irreversible processes are equal under appropriate conditions. This is the result most closely associated with Onsager’s name.
Onsager–Fuoss theory: A theory describing transport properties of electrolyte solutions through ionic interactions and relaxation effects. It developed Onsager’s treatment of conductivity beyond the simplest limiting law.
Hendrik Casimir: A Dutch physicist known for work in quantum physics, statistical mechanics, and the Casimir effect. Casimir generalized Onsager’s reciprocal relations for variables with distinct time-reversal behavior.
Norwegian Institute of Technology: A Norwegian technical university in Trondheim, now part of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Onsager studied chemical engineering there before moving to the United States.
Thermodynamic flux: A rate of transport or change, such as heat flow or diffusion, in a thermodynamic system. Fluxes are the responses paired with forces in his linear theory.
Onsager–Casimir reciprocal relations: Generalized reciprocity relations accounting for variables that change sign under time reversal, including magnetic fields. They extend Onsager’s symmetry rule to systems with time-reversal-odd variables.
Debye–Hückel theory: A theory approximating ionic activities in dilute electrolyte solutions by accounting for electrostatic interactions. Onsager built on this description of ionic atmospheres in explaining conductivity.
Peter Debye: A Dutch-American physical chemist whose work included molecular structure and electrolyte theory. Debye’s theory of ionic solutions supplied a foundation for Onsager’s conductivity work.
Johns Hopkins University: A research university in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1876. Onsager began graduate study there after emigrating from Norway.

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