资源物理学的历史与现状

THE HISTORY AND PRESENT OF THE RESOURCE PHYSICS

一.资源物理学的创立过程1973年,一些日本人也因所谓石油危机而张惶失措。当时流行着这样一种论调:"石油即将枯竭,人类前景暗淡,因此必须尽快开发能替代石油的能源"。为了跟上这一潮流,日本就投入巨额财政预算,开展了聚变核能和太阳光等方面的能源开发研究。但是,有些物理学家提出反对意见,认为这种作法是错误的。他们的理由是:1、石油不会在短期内枯竭。问题在于因石油过多,无处堆放的废物所造成的污染日趋严重。2、即使核聚变获得成功,因为其装置的建设和运行需要大量石油,所以当石油枯竭之时,也就无法得到聚变核能。

While matter and energy are conserved when one utilizes resources,entropy inevitably increases.In Japan,the resource physics as a field of the theory of heat has been proposed by focusing on this fact.In this new field of physics, the targets of research are not only depletion of resources but also depletion of the spaces to which waste matter and waste heat are to be damped. On the other hand,there exist,on the Earth,renewable resources.They creat neither depletion nor pollution problems as far as they are not not wrongly utilized. Hence)condition of their proper utilization are also a target of research in resource physics.First of all,two material cycles have been analyzed as of such mechanisms as not increasing entropy on the Earth.The cycle of water(and air)disposes,towards the outer space,of thermal entropy which is generated on the Earth.The amount of such disposal was calculated.This sets the upper linit of renewable resource utilization.Secondly, the ecocycle(i.e.,the cycle of ecosystem)transforms material entropy generated on the Earth into thermal entropy and disposes of it by transferring it to the water cycle mentioned above.During the process of these researches,the entropy balance in the photosynthesis,which had been uncertain in the traditiolnal science,was properly understood. The resource physics is continuing the research on ecosystems as of including humsan beings through the viewpoints these material cycles.