Abstract
Are the generalizations of classical equilibrium thermodynamics true of self-gravitating systems? This question has not been addressed from a foundational perspective, but here I tackle it through a study of the “paradoxes” commonly said to afflict such systems. My goals are twofold: (a) to show that the “paradoxes” raise many questions rarely discussed in the philosophical foundations literature, and (b) to counter the idea that these “paradoxes” spell the end for gravitational equilibrium thermodynamics.
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Dedicated to the memory of Urs Hoffmann, from whom I learned much about these topics.
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Callender, C. Hot and Heavy Matters in the Foundations of Statistical Mechanics. Found Phys 41, 960–981 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-010-9518-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-010-9518-z