Statistical Physics [electronic resource] : An Introduction / by Daijiro Yoshioka.

Part 1: General principle -- Kinetic theory of gas molecules -- A model of the ideal gas -- Spatial distribution of molecules and fluctuation -- Velocity distribution of molecules -- Pressure of the ideal gas -- Maxwell distribution -- Entropy -- Micro-canonical distribution number of states and density of states -- Condition of thermal equilibrium and derivative of the entropy -- Partition function and free energy -- Canonical distribution -- Grand canonical distribution -- Partition function -- Free energy -- Internal energy -- Part 2: Applications -- Ideal gas -- Quantum mechanics of gas molecules -- Phase space and number of states -- Entropy of the ideal gas -- Pressure of the ideal gas by quantum mechanics -- Temperature and pressure by statistical mechanics -- Partition function of the ideal gas -- Two-atom molecules -- Specific heat of a solid and black body radiation -- Einstein model -- Debye model -- Black body radiation -- Elasticity of rubber -- Magnet -- Ferromagnet -- Statistical mechanics of free spin -- Phase transition described by mean field theory -- One-dimensional Ising model -- Part 3: Thermodynamics -- Laws of thermodynamics -- Air-conditioner and Engine -- Irreversible process and non-equilibrium states -- Heat and work the first law -- Reversible process -- The second law -- Principle of air-conditioner and engine -- Coexistence of two phases.

This book provides a comprehensive presentation of the basics of statistical physics. The first part explains the essence of statistical physics and how it provides a bridge between microscopic and macroscopic phenomena, allowing one to derive quantities such as entropy. Here the author avoids going into details such as Liouvilles theorem or the ergodic theorem, which are difficult for beginners and unnecessary for the actual application of the statistical mechanics. In the second part, statistical mechanics is applied to various systems which, although they look different, share the same mathematical structure. In this way readers can deepen their understanding of statistical physics. The book also features applications to quantum dynamics, thermodynamics, the Ising model and the statistical dynamics of free spins.

ZDB-2-PHA