Perspectives on Statistical Thermodynamics
Published on 14. December 2017
Book
Hardback
476 pages
978-1-107-15401-8 (ISBN)
Description
This original text develops a deep, conceptual understanding of thermal physics, highlighting the important links between thermodynamics and statistical physics, and examining how thermal physics fits within physics as a whole, from an empirical perspective. The first part of the book is devoted to elementary, mesoscopic topics such as Brownian motion, which leads to intuitive uses of large deviation theory, one of the pillars of modern probability theory. The book then introduces the key concepts behind statistical thermodynamics, and the final part describes more advanced and applied topics from thermal physics such as phase transitions and critical phenomena. This important subject is presented from a fresh perspective and in a highly pedagogical manner, with numerous worked examples and relevant cultural side notes throughout, making it ideal as either a textbook for advanced thermal physics courses or for self-study by undergraduate and graduate students in physics and engineering.
Reviews / Votes
'This is a delightful book quite different from most textbooks. It will be enjoyed by teachers, students and researchers.' Joel Lebowitz, Rutgers UniversityMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises; 5 Tables, black and white; 57 Halftones, black and white; 84 Line drawings, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 260 mm
Width: 208 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
1371 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-107-15401-8 (9781107154018)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Yoshitsugu Oono
Perspectives on Statistical Thermodynamics
E-Book
12/2017
Cambridge University Press
€64.99
Available for download
Yoshitsugu Oono
Perspectives on Statistical Thermodynamics
E-Book
12/2017
Cambridge University Press
€55.49
Available for download
Person
Yoshitsugu Oono is a Professor of Physics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where he currently teaches the statistical physics courses. His research interests focus on nonequilibrium statistical thermodynamics and theory of biological systems.
Content
Preface; Self-study guide; List of Symbols; Part I. Introduction: 1. Introduction; 2. Atomic picture of gases; 3. Introduction to probability; 4. Law of large numbers; 5. Maxwell's distribution; 6. Delta function and density distribution functions; 7. Mean free path and diffusion; 8. Introduction to transport phenomena; 9. Brownian motion; 10. Langevin equation and large deviation; Part II. Statistical Thermodynamics: Basics: 11. Macrosystems in equilibrium; 12. Thermodynamic description; 13. Basic thermodynamics; 14. Thermodynamics: general consequences; 15. Entropy through examples; 16. Free energy and convex analysis; 17. Introduction to statistical mechanics; 18. Statistical mechanics of isothermal systems; 19. Canonical density operator; 20. Classical canonical ensemble; 21. Information and entropy; 22. Information and thermodynamics; 23. Oscillators at low temperatures; 24. How to manipulate partial derivatives; 25. Thermodynamic stability; 26. Fluctuation and response; 27. Chemical potential; 28. Grand canonical ensemble; 29. Ideal quantum systems at low temperatures; 30. Photons and internal motions; Part III. Elements of Phase Transition: 31. Phases and phase transitions; 32. Phase transition in d-space; 33. Critical phenomena and renormalization; 34. Mean field and transfer matrix; 35. Symmetry breaking; 36. First order phase transition; Appendix. Introduction to mechanics; References; Index.