Statistical Physics I

Homework 1

Due date: 3/30/2020

Question 1

The microstate of composite system containingA1 and A2 reads

Ω(0) (E (0) , E1 ) = Ω1 (E1 )Ω2 (E2 )

Taking ln both sides ln Ω(0) (E1 ) = lnΩ1 (E1 ) + lnΩ2 (E2 ).

After expanding the series we get

 
ln Ω(0) (E1 ) = lnΩ1 (E1 ) + lnΩ2 (E2 )
= lnΩ1 (E1 ) + lnΩ2 (E2 )
 
∂ (lnΩ1 (E1 )) ∂ (lnΩ2 (E2 )) ∂E2

+ + E1 − Ē1
∂E1 ∂E2 ∂E1 E1 =Ē1
" 2 #
2 2

1 ∂ (lnΩ1 (E1 )) ∂ (lnΩ2 (E2 )) ∂E2
2
+ 2 + E1 − Ē1
2 ∂E1 ∂E2 ∂E1
E1 =Ē1

Expansion to 2nd order would suce as the higher order term is negligible for large system.

First term : constant

Second term :

∂(lnΩ1 (E1 ))
∂E1 + ∂(lnΩ2 (E2 ))
∂E1 = β1 − β2 = 0 Since β1 = β2 at thermal equilibrium

Third term: using CV = , = β = kT . At equilibrium, T1 = T2 = T

∂E

∂(lnΩ1 (E)) 1
∂T N,V ∂E

h    i
2
1 ∂ ∂T1 ∂(lnΩ1 (E1 ))
∂ ∂T2 ∂(lnΩ2 (E2 ))
2 ∂T1 ∂E1 ∂E1+ ∂T 2 ∂E2 ∂E2 E1 − Ē1
h    i E 1 =Ē 1

2
= 12 ∂T
∂
1
1
kT1 CV 1 + ∂
∂T2
1
kT2 CV 2 E 1 − Ē1
h i T1 =T2 =T
CV 1 +CV 2

2
= 12 kT 2C
V 1 CV 2
E 1 − Ē1

Therefore, Ω(0) (E1 ) can be simplied to

0
Png Wen Han R08222077

   
1 CV 1 + CV 2
2
Ω(0) (E1 ) = Aexp E 1 − Ē1
2 kT 2 CV 1 CV 2

where A = elnΩ1 (E1 )+lnΩ2 (E2 ) is a constant

x−µ 2
The expression ressemble gaussian term g(x) = √1 exp 1
. The mean µ and the variance σ is


σ 2π
− 2 σ
identied as follow

µ = Ē1
2
σ 2 = kT CV 1 CV 2
CV 1 +CV 2

If system 2 is relatively large resevoir as compare to system 1 CV 1  CV 2 , then variance become σ 2 = kT 2 CV 1

If system1 and system 2 are ideal gas with corresponding specic heat capacity reads CV 1 = 23 N1 k, CV 2 =
2 N2 k , the variance is
3

3 2 2 N1 N2
σ2 = k T
2 N1 + N2

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Question 2

a)

When N = 1, A1 = A = (L − 2r)2

When N = 2, A2 = A A − π(2r)2 = A (A − d)
When N = 3, A3 = A (A − d) (A − 2d)

When N = n,
N
1 Y
An = [A − (n − 1) d]
N ! n=1

the order of the arrangement of disk matter, the factor 1/N !is added as consideration for permutation

b)

SQ (An ) = kB ln (An )
N
!
Y
= −kB ln (N !) + kB ln [A − (n − 1) d]
n=1
N
X
= −kB N ln (N ) + kB N + kB ln ([A − (n − 1) d])
n=1

where stirling's formula is used.

c)

The third term is expanded to 2nd order.

    
d d
ln A 1 − (n − 1) = ln A + ln 1 − (n − 1)
A A
1 2
= ln A − (n − 1) α + (n − 1) α2
2
= ln A − (n − 1) α

where d/A = α. Taylor series in 2nd order is negligible in the dilute limit N πr2  L2

N
SQ (An ) X
= −N ln (N ) + N + N ln A − (n − 1) α
kB n=1
N (N − 1)
= −N ln (N ) + N + N ln A − α
2
SQ (An ) (N − 1)
= − ln (N ) + 1 + ln A − α
N kB 2

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Using the small value approximation, − (N 2−1) α ' ln 1 − (N −1)
2 α

 
SQ (An ) (N − 1)
= − ln (N ) + 1 + ln A + ln 1 − α
N kB 2
 
A Aα (N − 1)
= 1 + ln −
N N 2
 
A
= 1 + ln −b
N
  
A
SQ (An ) = N kB 1 + ln −b
N

where b = Aα (N −1)
N 2 = d2 (1 − 1
N)

For large N, 1
N ' 0.
d
b= = 2πr2 = 2a
2

d)

For a internsive eld, the pressure reads ∂S P

∂V E = T

as V = A,∂V = ∂A

 
∂S
P =T
∂A E
1


N

= N kB T A
N −b
P (A − N b) = N kB T

We can easily see the expression t the criteria of an ideal gas P A = N kB T when b = 0

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Png Wen Han R08222077

Question 3
h R i
WKB method tells us ψ = A exp i
p
~ dq 2m (E − V )

For case in one dimension, the schrodinger equation is

~2 d 2 ψ
− = (E − V )ψ
2m dq 2

Substitute the WKB solution gives

~ dψ p
= 2m (E − V )ψ
i dq
~ d2 ψ p dψ 2m − 1 dV
= 2m (E − V ) − [2m (E − V )] 2 ψ
i dq 2 dq 2 dq
r
i m dV
= 2m (E − V ) ψ − ψ
~ 2 (E − V ) dq
d2 ψ
r
~ m dV
−~2 2 = 2m (E − V ) ψ − ψ
dq i 2 (E − V ) dq

The additional (last) term can be neglected given the condition

s
~ 1 dV
2m (E − V )  m
i 2m (E − V ) dq
p ~ dV
2m (E − V ) 2m (E − V )  m
i dq
 
3  dV 
[2m (E − V )] 2  m~  
dq 

where i can be absorbed into V as additional phase. The above expression indicates the system have non-
constant and slowly varying (non-zero) potential. The particle is allowed to move periodically in allowed
region bounded by x1 and x2 . As λ = h/p = h/ 2m (E − V ), then we also know the wavelength of the particle
p

is close to zero. The derivation of the connection formulas at x1 and x2 seems futile and not sigicant for the
understanding of the probelm, so I will just adopted the derived result from standard quantum mechanical
textbook.

 Z x   Z x2 
1 1 π 1 1 π
ψW KB =p sin p(q)dq + = −p sin p(q)dq +
p(q) ~ x1 4 p(q) ~ x 4

The solution corresponds to sin(θ1 ) = sin(θ2 ) can be derived as followed:

sin(θ1 ) + sin(θ2 ) = 0
   
θ1 + θ2 θ1 + θ2
2cos sin =0
2 2

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for n = 0, 1, 2, 3....θ1 + θ2 = (n + 1)π

Then we can do the same for connection formula

Z x Z x2
π π
p(q)dq + + p(q)dq + = (n + 1)π
x1 4 x 4
Z x2
1
p(q)dq = π~(n + )
x1 2

due to the restricted region in one dimension, the particle can only move foward and backward between
x1 and x2 ( a quasi-classical motion). x12 p(q)dq is equal to only half of the itegral over the complete period:
Rx
H Rx2
p(q)dq = 2 x1
p(q)dq

I
1
p(q)dq = 2π~(n + )
2
1
= (n + )h
2

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Png Wen Han R08222077

Question 4

The energy eigenvalues for a free relativistic particle conned to abox with dimension L is
q
hc
ε (nx , ny , nz ) = 2L n2x + n2y + n2z

The solution correspond to the eigenfunction (microstate) of a particle of energy ε

 2
2L
n2x + n2y + n2z = ε = ε∗2
hc
3N 2
X 4V 3 2
n2r = E = E ∗2
r=1
h2 c2

If the gas undergoes a reversible adiabatic change of state, S(N, V, E) = S(N, V 3 , E 2 ).

2

V 2/3 E 2 = const
E = constV −1/3

the pressure can be obtained using

 
∂E
P = = constV −4/3
∂V
P V 4/3 = const

Compare with eqn 1.4.30 P V γ = const , where γ = Cp /Cv .Then Cp /Cv = 4/3

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