The Soret and Dufour effects in statistical dynamics

We set up a discrete space–time dynamical model of molecules with thermalized kinetic energy and repulsive cores, in an external potential. The model obeys the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The continuum limit, obtained using a Maple program, gives rise to coupled reaction–diffusion equations for the density and temperature fields. The system obeys Onsager symmetry and exhibits the Soret and Dufour effects.