Robustness of the nonequilibrium entropy related to the Maxwell-Cattaneo heat equation

The connection between the Maxwell-Cattaneo heat transport equation and a nonequilibrium entropy is examined through four different thermodynamic approaches, and it is shown that all of them lead to the same form of the nonequilibrium entropy. Furthermore, it is seen that this form is also consistent with three microscopic formalisms. This robustness underlines the consistency and relevance of the entropy. © 2008 The American Physical Society.