
Topics In Statistical Mechanics
Brian Cowan(Author)
Imperial College Press
Will be published approx. on 15. September 2005
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-1-86094-564-9 (ISBN)
Description
Building on the material learned by students in their first few years of study, this book presents an advanced level course on statistical and thermal physics. It begins with a review of the formal structure of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics considered from a unified viewpoint. After a brief revision of non-interacting systems, emphasis is laid on interacting systems. First, weakly interacting systems are considered, where the interest is in seeing how such interactions cause small deviations from the non-interacting case. Second, systems are examined where interactions lead to drastic changes, namely phase transitions. A number of specific examples are given, and these are unified within the Landau theory of phase transitions. The final chapter of the book looks at non-equilibrium systems and the way these evolve towards equilibrium. Here, fluctuations play a vital role, as is formalized in the Fluctuation-Dissipation theorem.
Reviews / Votes
"This is an excellent graduate-level textbook that grew out of a largely online intercollegiate course given by the author to fourth-year students in the United Kingdom. The text is concise but provides an accurate and well-balanced introduction to a remarkable breadth of topics, with an emphasis even on modern aspects such as the statistical mechanics of phase transitions and non-equilibrium dynamics ... Cowan has managed to capture the rich field of statistical mechanics in a concise and truly excellent exposition. His text should be accessible to good advanced undergraduates, and certainly to first- or second-year graduate students in physics, mathematics, or engineering." Mathematical ReviewsMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
605 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-86094-564-9 (9781860945649)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Content
# The Methodology of Statistical Mechanics # Practical Calculations with Ideal Systems # Non-Ideal Gases # Phase Transitions # Fluctuations and Dynamics