An Introduction to Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics / Edition 2

by Robert H. Swendsen

Overview

An Introduction to Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics returns with a second edition which includes new chapters, further explorations, and updated information into the study of statistical mechanics and thermal dynamics.

The first part of the book derives the entropy of the classical ideal gas, using only classical statistical mechanics and an analysis of multiple systems first suggested by Boltzmann. The properties of the entropy are then expressed as "postulates" of thermodynamics in the second part of the book. From these postulates, the formal structure of thermodynamics is developed.

The third part of the book introduces the canonical and grand canonical ensembles, which are shown to facilitate calculations for many model systems. An explanation of irreversible phenomena that is consistent with time-reversal invariance in a closed system is presented.

The fourth part of the book is devoted to quantum statistical mechanics, including black-body radiation, the harmonic solid, Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics, and an introduction to band theory, including metals, insulators, and semiconductors. The final chapter gives a brief introduction to the theory of phase transitions.

Throughout the book, there is a strong emphasis on computational methods to make abstract concepts more concrete.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198853237
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/10/2020
Series:	Oxford Graduate Texts
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	496
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.70(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Robert Swendsen, Emeritus Professor, Physics Department, Carnegie Mellon University

Robert Swendsen received his BS from Yale and his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. He did postdoctoral work at the Universitat zu Koln, Germany, the Kernforschungsanlage in Julich, Germany, and Brookhaven National Laboratory. From 1978 to 1984 he worked at the IBM Zurich Research Center. In 1984, he joined Carnegie Mellon University.

He is a Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was given an IBM
Outstanding Achievement Award in 1981 and shared a Forefronts of Large-Scale Computational Problems Award with S. Kumar, J.M. Rosenberg, and P.A. Kollman in 1991. He was awarded the 2014 Aneesur Rahman Prize for Computational Physics and the 2014 Julius Ashkin Teaching Award in the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University.

Table of Contents

Preface1. IntroductionPart 1 Entropy2. The Classical Ideal Gas3. Discrete Probability Theory4. The Classical Ideal Gas: Configurational Entropy5. Continuous Random Numbers6. The Classical Ideal Gas: Energy-Dependence of Entropy7. Classical Gasses: Ideal and Otherwise8. Temperature Pressure, Chemical Potential, and All ThatPart 2 Thermodynamics9. The Postulates and Laws of Thermodynamics10. Perturbations of Thermodynamic State Functions11. Thermodynamics Processes12. Thermodynamic Potentials13. The Consequences of Extensivity14. Thermodynamic Identities15. Extremum Principles16. Stability Conditions17. Phase Transitions18. The Nernst Postulate: the Third Law of ThermodynamicsPart 3 Classical Statistical Mechanics19. Ensembles in Classical Statistical Mechanics20. Classical Ensembles: Grand and Otherwise21. Refining the Definition of Entropy22. IrreversibilityPart 4 Quantum Statistical Mechanics23. Quantum Ensembles24. Quantum Canonical Ensemble25. Black-Body Radiation26. The Harmonic Solid27. Ideal Quantum Gases28. Bose-Einstein Statistics29. Fermi-Dirac Statistics30. Insulators and Semiconductors31. Phase Transitions and the Ising ModelAppendixAppendix: Computer Calculations and VPythonIndexIndex

Editorial Reviews

"...presents the two complementary aspects of thermal physics as an integrated theory of the properties of matter." — Mathematical Reviews

"The mathematical notation is carefully introduced and useful; the selected mathematical techniques are clearly explained in a conversational style that both graduate and advanced undergraduate students will find easy to follow. The author's subject organization and conceptual viewpoint address some of the shortcomings of conventional developments of thermal physics and will be helpful to students and researchers seeking a deep appreciation of statistical physics." — Physics Today

From the Publisher