Introduction to Modern Statistical Mechanics » (1st Edition)

University of California, Berkeley

Leading physical chemist David Chandler takes a new approach to statistical mechanics to provide the only introductory-level work on the modern topics of renormalization group theory, Monte Carlo simulations, time correlation functions, and liquid structure. The author provides compact summaries of the fundamentals of this branch of physics and discussions of many of its traditional elementary applications, interspersed with over 150 exercises and microcomputer programs.

Chapter 1: Thermodynamics, Fundamentals
First Law of Thermodynamics Second Law Variational Statement of Second Law Application: Thermal Equilibrium and Temperature Auxiliary Functions and Legendre Transforms Maxwell Relations Extensive Functions and the Gibbs-Duhem Equation Intensive Functions
Chapter 2: Conditions for Equilibrium and Stability
Multiphase Equilibrium Stability Application to Phase Equilibria Plane Interfaces
Chapter 3: Statistical Mechanics
The Statistical Method and Ensembles Microcanonical Ensemble and the Rational Foundation of Thermodynamics Canonical Ensemble A Simple Example Generalized Ensembles and the Gibbs Entropy Formula Fluctuations Involving Uncorrelated Particles Alternative Development of Equilibrium Distribution Functions
Chapter 4: Non-Interacting (Ideal) Systems
Occupation Numbers Photon Gas Phonon Gas Ideal Gases of Real Particles Electrons in Metals Classical Ideal Gases, the Classical Limit Thermodynamics of an Ideal Gas of Structureless Classical Particles A Dilute Gas of Atoms A Dilute Gas of Diatomic Molecules Chemical Equilibria in Gases
Chapter 5: Statistical Mechanical Theory of Phase Transitions
Ising Model Lattice Gas Broken Symmetry and Range of Correlations Mean Field Theory Variational Treatment of Mean Field Theory Renormalization Group (RG) Theory RG Theory for the Two Dimensional Ising Model Isomorphism Between Two-Level Quantum Mechanical System and the Ising Model
Chapter 6: Monte Carlo Method in Statistical Mechanics
Trajectories A Monte Carlo Trajectory Non-Boltzmann Sampling Quantum Monte Carlo
Chapter 7: Classical Fluids
Averages in Phase Space Reduced Configurational Distribution Functions Reversible Work Theorem Thermodynamic Properties from g(r)
Measurement of g(r) by Diffraction Solvation and Chemical Equilibrium in Liquids Molecular Liquids Monte Carlo for Hard Disks
Chapter 8: Statistical Mechanics of Non-Equilibrium Systems
Systems Close to Equilibrium Onsager's Regression Hypothesis and Time Correlation Functions Application: Chemical Kinetics Another Application: Self Diffusion Fluctuation Dissipation Theorem Response Functions Absorption Friction and the Langevin Equation