Diffusion in Multicomponent Metallic Systems: Vi. Some Thermodynamic Properties of the D Matrix and the Corresponding Solutions of the Diffusion Equations

The second law requirement that the Onsager L matrix for isothermal diffusion in a stable solution be positive definite and the stability condition for such a solution that the Hessian of the Gibb's free energy be positive definite impose on the diffusion D matrix the condition that it always have real and positive eigenvalues. This condition ensures that solutions of the differential equations for diffusion will always relax in a nonperiodic way.