Introduction to Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena
Published on 14. April 1988
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-0-19-505316-6 (ISBN)
Description
This is a paperback edition of a distinguished book, originally published by Clarendon Press in 1971. It was then the first text on critical phenomena, a field that has enjoyed great activity for the past twenty years and that still continues to attract much attention. The book is at the level at which a graduate student who has studied condensed matter physics can begin to comprehend the nature of phase transitions, which involve the transformation of one state of matter into another. (A simple example is the melting of a solid to become a liquid.) Such a transformation is termed 'critical' when, after a certain amount of the substance changes phase, the entire bulk virtually instantaneously also makes the transition. A second, updated edition is planned for future publication, but in the mean time this paperback reissue will be useful in teaching the fundamental principles of this extremely interesting subject.
Reviews / Votes
"A substantial step toward filling the void [in this field] and as such is most welcome and bound to be a success. Much of the book is written at a fairly elementary level and assumes virtually no previous acquaintance with the field. The volume is well executed, and some useful devices are employed to make it very readable...the language is extremely clear and precise. Most of the figures are well chosen and contribute appreciably to a better understanding ofthe text."--Physics Today
"The author's enthusiasm, generosity of outlook, and industry have produced a most worthwhile addition to the literature."--Nature
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
figures, tables
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
444 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-505316-6 (9780195053166)
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
Content
PART I: Introduction 1: What are the Critical Phenomena? A Survey of Some Basic Results 2: Useful Thermodynamic Relations for Fluid and Magnetic Systems PART II: Critical-Point Exponents and Rigorous Relations Among Them 3: Critical-Point Exponents 4: Exponent Inequalities PART III: Classical Theories of Cooperative Phenomena 5: The Van Der Waals Theory of Liquid-Gas Phase Transitions 6: The Mean Field Theory of Magnetic Phase Transitions 7: The Pair Correlation Function and the Ornstein-Zernike Theory PART IV: Models of Fluid and Magnetic Phase Transitions 8: Results Provided by Exact Solution of Model Systems 9: Results Obtained from Model Systems by Approximation Methods PART V: Phenomenological Theories of Phase Transitions 10: Landau's Classic Theory of Exponents 11: Scaling Law Hypothesis for Thermodynamic Functions 12: Scaling of the Static Correlation Functions PART VI: Dynamic Aspects of Critical Phenomena 13: Introduction to Dynamic Critical Phenomena in Fluid Systems 14: Measurements of the Dynamic Structure Factor for Fluid Systems 15: Dynamic Scaling Laws and the Mode-Mode Coupling Approximation