dissipativo

Dissipativo is an adjective used in physics and engineering to describe processes or systems in which energy is irreversibly lost to the surroundings, typically as heat, friction, radiation, or other irreversible interactions. In such systems, energy is not conserved within the system boundaries, and entropy tends to increase according to the second law of thermodynamics. Dissipative behavior is common in open systems that exchange energy and matter with an environment.

In thermodynamics and non-equilibrium physics, dissipative processes occur when there is a sustained flow of energy through a system, driving it away from equilibrium. A notable concept is the dissipative structure or dissipative system, as introduced by Ilya Prigogine, where energy throughput and flux can support self-organization and complex patterns under far-from-equilibrium conditions.

In control theory and systems theory, dissipativity is a formal property: a system is dissipative if there exists a storage function and a supply rate such that the rate of change of stored energy does not exceed the energy supplied. This framework generalizes energy dissipation to various inputs and outputs.

Common examples include mechanical damping (friction, viscoelastic losses) in damped oscillators, electrical resistance, and viscous or thermal dissipation in fluids and solids. In quantum and statistical physics, dissipative environments lead to decoherence and relaxation of quantum systems.

Historically, dissipative concepts have become central to the understanding of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, pattern formation, and complex systems, highlighting how continual energy exchange with the surroundings shapes structure and dynamics.