Entropycarrying

Entropycarrying refers to the property of a system, process, or carrier that transports entropy from one region to another as part of energy or matter transport. Entropy is a measure of the number of microscopic configurations compatible with a system’s macrostate, and entropy transport is a key aspect of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. An entropy-carrying agent can move disorder or thermal information through space; common carriers include photons in thermal radiation, phonons in solids, and charge carriers such as electrons or holes in electronic or thermoelectric contexts.

In thermodynamics, entropy transport is connected to heat flow. Under reversible conditions, the entropy flux associated with a heat flux is the heat flux divided by temperature. In real processes, entropy can be transported together with energy or matter and is accompanied by entropy production due to irreversibility. The term entropycarrying is therefore descriptive: it is used to discuss how entropy moves in a system, rather than to designate a single distinct physical object.

Examples appear in studies of nanoscale heat transfer, radiative transport in astrophysical settings, and thermoelectric devices, where understanding which excitations carry entropy helps optimize energy management. The concept also intersects information theory, where entropy quantifies information content that can be transmitted by signals, linking physical entropy transport to information transport in certain models.

Note: entropycarrying is not a standard technical noun in all disciplines, but a convenient descriptive phrase used in discussions of entropy transport and non-equilibrium processes.