Irreversibility of Time for Quasi-Isolated Systems

Abstract

A physical system is called quasi-isolated if it subject to small random uncontrollable perturbations. Such a system is, in general, stochastically unstable. Moreover, its phase-space volume at asymptotically large time expands. This can be described by considering the local expansion exponent. Several examples illustrate that the stability indices and expansion exponents of quasi-isolated systems are not only asymptotically positive but are asymptotically increasing. This means that the divergence of dynamical trajectories and the expansion of phase volume at large time occurs with acceleration. Such a strongly irreversible evolution of quasi-isolated systems explains the irreversibility of time.