Is the Le Chatelier-Braun principle valid in general in linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics? (Q1804253)

This paper analyzes the validity of the Le Chatelier-Braun principle in linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics. This is a topic dealt with in several classical textbooks on nonequilibrium thermodynamics since the first analyses by \textit{F. Schlögl} [Z. Phys. Chem. 9, 259 (1956)]. The original aspect of the present paper is to generalize this problem to the case of Onsager-Casimir reciprocity relations, characterized by the antisymmetry of some of the kinetic cross coefficients, instead of the more usual Onsager reciprocity relations, implying the symmetry of the coefficients. It is shown that if the Le Chatelier-Braun principle is understood as a stability criterion of the stationary state, it remains valid independently of the presence of antisymmetric coefficients. If, in contrast, it is interpreted as describing the system's response to a real external perturbation, the principle is no longer valid in general as far as there are antisymmetric coefficients.