Abstract :
We consider simple thermodynamic cycles of classical, non-relativistic electrical charges at first in stationary homogenous magnetic fields with uniformly moved container walls, and alternatively with resting walls, and an additional static homogenous electrical field.
The dynamics of the charges can in a way be arranged identically in both cases, always considered in the frame of reference of the walls. Surprisingly, this is no more valid for the thermodynamic processes, especially if elastic (adiabatic) and inelastic (isothermal) interaction with the walls is taken into account.
The cause for this behaviour is seen in the merging of the charges from diamagnetic ring currents in the bulk of the volume into paramagnetic ring currents at the walls, which is formally equivalent to a reversal of time for the charges in question.
Finally, we briefly discuss possibilities of realisation of the concerned processes in terms of semiconductors and the relations to other effects, the (Quantum-) Hall effect, in particular.
