Elementary Statistical PhysicsNoteworthy for the philosophical subtlety of its foundations and the elegance of its problem-solving methods, statistical mechanics can be employed in a broad range of applications — among them, astrophysics, biology, chemistry, nuclear and solid state physics, communications engineering, metallurgy, and mathematics. Geared toward graduate students in physics, this text covers such important topics as stochastic processes and transport theory in order to provide students with a working knowledge of statistical mechanics. |
Contents
Fundamental principles of statistical mechanics | 1 |
2 Systems and Ensembles | 5 |
3 The Liouville Theorem | 9 |
4 The Microcanonlcal Ensemble | 12 |
5 Entropy in Statistical Mechanics | 16 |
6 Elementary Example of Probability Distribution and Entropy | 20 |
7 Conditions for Equilibrium | 23 |
8 Connection between Statistical and Thermodynamic Quantities | 29 |
24 Negative Temperatures | 111 |
Fluctuations noisey and irreversible thermodynamics | 115 |
26 Quasithermodynamic Theory of Fluctuations | 123 |
27 Review of the Fourier Integral Transform and Topics in the Theory of Random Processes | 125 |
28 WienerKhintchine Theorem | 131 |
29 The Nyquist Theorem | 139 |
30 Applications of the Nyquist Theorem | 145 |
31 Brownian Movement | 151 |
9 Calculation of the Entropy of a Perfect Gas Using the Microcanonical Ensemble | 33 |
10 Quantum Mechanical Considerations | 37 |
11 The Canonical Ensemble | 43 |
12 Thermo dynamic Functions for the Canonical Ensemble | 49 |
13 Maxwell Velocity Distribution and the Equipartition of Energy | 56 |
14 Grand Canonical Ensemble | 60 |
15 Chemical Potential in External Fields | 65 |
16 Chemical Reactions | 67 |
17 Thermo dynamic Properties of Diatomic Molecules | 70 |
18 Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics of Magnetization | 75 |
19 FermiDirac Distribution | 84 |
20 Heat Capacity of a Free Electron Gas at Low Temperatures | 89 |
and the Einstein Condensation | 94 |
and the Planck Radiation Law | 100 |
and Quantum Statistical Mechanics | 105 |
32 FokkerPlanck Equation | 155 |
33 Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes and the Onsager Reciprocal Relations | 157 |
34 Application of the Onsager Relations to Charge and Energy Transport in a Homogeneous Conductor | 161 |
35 Principle of Minimum Entropy Production | 163 |
Kinetic methods and transport theory | 167 |
37 Applications of the Principle of Detailed Balance | 171 |
and the Compound Nucleus | 181 |
39 Use of a Kinetic Equation in Relaxation Problems | 184 |
40 Boltzmann Transport Equation | 190 |
41 Electrical and Thermal Conductivity in an Electron Gas | 194 |
42 Magnetoresistance | 199 |
43 Calculation of Viscosity from the Boltzmann Equation | 203 |
44 KramersKronig Relations | 204 |
45 Laws of Rarefied Cases | 209 |