Thermal Physics: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers

In Thermal Physics: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers, the fundamental laws of thermodynamics are stated precisely as postulates and subsequently connected to historical context and developed mathematically. These laws are applied systematically to topics such as phase equilibria, chemical reactions, external forces, fluid-fluid surfaces and interfaces, and anisotropic crystal-fluid interfaces.

Statistical mechanics is presented in the context of information theory to quantify entropy, followed by development of the most important ensembles: microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical. A unified treatment of ideal classical, Fermi, and Bose gases is presented, including Bose condensation, degenerate Fermi gases, and classical gases with internal structure. Additional topics include paramagnetism, adsorption on dilute sites, point defects in crystals, thermal aspects of intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, density matrix formalism, the Ising model, and an introduction to Monte Carlo simulation.

Throughout the book, problems are posed and solved to illustrate specific results and problem-solving techniques.

Includes applications of interest to physicists, physical chemists, and materials scientists, as well as materials, chemical, and mechanical engineersSuitable as a textbook for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and practicing researchersDevelops content systematically with increasing order of complexitySelf-contained, including nine appendices to handle necessary background and technical details

Preface
Part I: Thermodynamics
1. Introduction
2. First Law of Thermodynamics
3. Second Law of Thermodynamics
4. Third Law of Thermodynamics
5. Open Systems
6. Equilibrium and Thermodynamic Potentials
7. Requirements for Stability
8. Monocomponent Phase Equilibrium
9. Two-Phase Equilibrium for a van der Waals Fluid
10. Binary Solutions
11. External Forces and Rotating Coordinate Systems
12. Chemical Reactions
13. Thermodynamics of Fluid-Fluid Interfaces
14. Thermodynamics of Solid-Fluid Interfaces
Part II: Statistical Mechanics
15. Entropy and Information Theory
16. Microcanonical Ensemble
17. Classical Microcanonical Ensemble
18. Distinguishable Particles with Negligible Interaction Energies
19. Canonical Ensemble
20. Classical Canonical Ensemble
21. Grand Canonical Ensemble
22. Entropy for Any Ensemble
23. Unified Treatment of Ideal Fermi, Bose and Classical Gases
24. Bose Condensation
25. Degenerate Fermi Gas
26. Quantum Statistics
27. Ising Model
Part III: Appendices
A. Stirling’s Approximation
B. Use of Jacobians to Convert Partial Derivatives
C. Differential Geometry of Surfaces
D. Equilibrium of Two-State Systems
E. Aspects of Canonical Transformations
F. Rotation of Rigid Bodies
G. Thermodynamic Perturbation Theory
H. Selected Mathematical Relations
I. Creation and Annihilation Operators