Synopses & Reviews
The series of texts Classical Theoretical Physics is based on the highly successful series of courses given by Walter Greiner and his colleagues at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Intended for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students, the volumes in this series will provide not only a complete survey of classical theoretical physics but also an enormous number of worked examples and problems to show students clearly how to apply the underlying principles to realistic problems. Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics covers: Thermodynamics - basic definitions of thermodynamics, equilibrium, state variables - the first and second laws - phase transitions and chemical reactions - thermodynamic potentials Statistical Mechanics - statistics of microscopic states and connection to the entropy - the microcanonical, canonical and grand canonical ensembles - applications of Boltzmann statistics Quantum Statistics - the density operator - many-particle wave functions - ideal quantum systems - the ideal Bose gas and applications to blackbody radiation, Kirchhoff's law, and lattice vibrations - the ideal Fermi gas and applications to condensed-matter physics, astrophysics, and nuclear physics - relativistic Bose and Fermi gases and applications to particle physics Real Gases and Phase Transitions - real gases and the virial expansion - classification of phase transitions and critical indices - the Ising and Heisenberg models
Review
"This book excels by its variety of modern examples in solid state physics, magnetism, elementary particle physics... In conclusion, I can recommend it strongly as a valuable source, especially to those who are teaching basic statistical physics at our universities." Physicalia
Synopsis
Containing an enormous number of worked examples and problems, this book clearly shows readers how to apply these abstract principles to realistic problems. It provides a complete survey of this fascinating field including basic definitions of thermodynamics, equilibrium, state variables, the first and second laws, and phase transitions and chemical reactions.
Synopsis
More than a generation of German-speaking students around the world have worked their way to an understanding and appreciation of the power and beauty of modem theoretical physics-with mathematics, the most fundamental of sciences-using WaIter Greiner's textbooks as their guide. The idea of developing a coherent, complete presentation of an entire field of science in a series of closely related textbooks is not a new one. Many older physicians remember with real pleasure their sense of adventure and discovery as they worked their ways through the classic series by Sommerfeld, by Planck and by Landau and Lifshitz. From the students' viewpoint, there are a great many obvious advantages to be gained through use of consistent notation, logical ordering of topics and coherence of presentation; beyond this, the complete coverage of the science provides a unique opportunity for the author to convey his personal enthusiasm and love for his subject. These volumes on classical physics, finally available in English, complement Greiner's texts on quantum physics, most of which have been available to English-speaking audiences for some time. The complete set of books will thus provide a coherent view of physics that includes, in classical physics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, classical dynam- ics, electromagnetism, and general relativity; and in quantum physics, quantum mechanics, symmetries, relativistic quantum mechanics, quantum electro- and chromodynamics, and the gauge theory of weak interactions.
Synopsis
Intended for beginning graduate students, this text provides not only a complete survey of thermodynamics and statistical physics, but also an enormous number of worked examples and problems to show students clearly how to apply the abstract principles to realistic problems.
Synopsis
From the reviews: "This book excels by its variety of modern examples in solid state physics, magnetism, elementary particle physics [...] I can recommend it strongly as a valuable source, especially to those who are teaching basic statistical physics at our universities." Physicalia
Table of Contents
Foreword; Preface; I. Thermodynamics 1. Equilibrium and State Quantities; 2. The Laws of Thermodynamics; 3. Phase Transitions and Chemical Reactions; 4. Thermodynamic Potentials II. Statistical Mechanics 5. Number of Microstates and Entropy; 6. Ensemble Theory and the Microcanonical Ensemble; 7. The Canonical Ensemble; 8. Application of Boltzmann Statistics; 9. The Macrocanonical Ensemble III. Quantum Statistics 10. Density Operators; 11. The Symmetry Character of Many-Particle Wavefunctions; 12. Grand Canonical Description of Ideal Quantum Systems; 13. The Ideal Bose Gas; 14. Ideal Fermi Gas; 15. Applications of Relativistic Bose and Fermi Gases IV. Real Gases and Phase Transitions 16. Real Gases; 17. Classification of Phase Transitions; 18. The Models of Ising and Heisenberg; Index