This $426,013 National Science Foundation project grant supports experimental research on nonequilibrium thermodynamics at the University of Texas at Dallas through July 2025. Funded under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), the award will test the validity of the Onsager reciprocal relation under conditions that violate its foundational assumptions, such as large temperature differences qualifying as far-from-equilibrium. Researchers will explore the extent to which the relation, as applied to thermoelectric physics, remains accurate by measuring the ratio of Peltier coefficient to thermopower under such conditions. The work establishes quantitative guidance on potential revisions to broaden understanding of nonequilibrium thermodynamics beyond near-equilibrium assumptions. Results may inform advanced heat flow models for industrial processes involving sizable heat transfers between objects at different temperatures.
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