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6.S: Summary

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References

  • M. Kardar, Statistical Physics of Particles (Cambridge, 2007) A superb modern text, with many insightful presentations of key concepts.
  • L. E. Reichl, A Modern Course in Statistical Physics (2nd edition, Wiley, 1998) A comprehensive graduate level text with an emphasis on nonequilibrium phenomena.
  • M. Plischke and B. Bergersen, Equilibrium Statistical Physics (3rd edition, World Scientific, 2006) An excellent graduate level text. Less insightful than Kardar but still a good modern treatment of the subject. Good discussion of mean field theory.
  • E. M. Lifshitz and L. P. Pitaevskii, Statistical Physics (part I, 3rd edition, Pergamon, 1980) This is volume 5 in the famous Landau and Lifshitz Course of Theoretical Physics. Though dated, it still contains a wealth of information and physical insight.
  • J.-P Hansen and I. R. McDonald, Theory of Simple Liquids (Academic Press, 1990) An advanced, detailed discussion of liquid state physics.

Summary

Lattice-based models: Amongst the many lattice-based models of physical interest are

ˆHIsing=JijσiσjHiσi;σi{1,+1}ˆHPotts=Jijδσi,σjHiδσ,1;σi{1,,q}ˆHO(n)=JijˆniˆnjHiˆni;ˆniSn1 .

Here J is the coupling between neighboring sites and H (or H) is a polarizing field which breaks a global symmetry (groups Z2 , Sq , and O(n), respectively). J>0 describes a ferromagnet and J<0 an antiferromagnet. One can generalize to include further neighbor interactions, described by a matrix of couplings Jij. When J=0, the degrees of freedom at each site are independent, and Z(T,N,J=0,H)=ζN, where ζ(T,H) is the single site partition function. When J0 it is in general impossible to compute the partition function analytically, except in certain special cases.

Transfer matrix solution in d=1: One such special case is that of one-dimensional systems. In that case, one can write Z=Tr(RN), where R is the transfer matrix. Consider a general one-dimensional model with nearest-neighbor interactions and Hamiltonian

ˆH=nU(αn,αn+1)nW(αn) ,

where αn describes the local degree of freedom, which could be discrete or continuous, single component or multi-component. Then

Rαα=eU(α,α)/kBTeW(α)/kBT .

The form of the transfer matrix is not unique, although its eigenvalues are. We could have taken Rαα=eW(α)/2kBTeU(α,α)/kBTeW(α)/2kBT, for example. The interaction matrix U(α,α) may or may not be symmetric itself. On a ring of N sites, one has Z=Ki=1λNi, where {λi} are the eigenvalues and K the rank of R. In the thermodynamic limit, the partition function is dominated by the eigenvalue with the largest magnitude.

Higher dimensions: For one-dimensional classical systems with finite range interactions, the thermodynamic properties vary smoothly with temperature for all T>0. The lower critical dimension d of a model is the dimension at or below which there is no finite temperature phase transition. For models with discrete global symmetry groups, d=1, while for continuous global symmetries d=2. In zero external field the (d=2) square lattice Ising model has a critical temperature Tc=2.269J. On the honeycomb lattice, Tc=1.519J. For the O(3) model on the cubic lattice, Tc=4.515J. In general, for unfrustrated systems, one expects for d>d that Tcz, where z is the lattice coordination number ( number of nearest neighbors).

Nonideal classical gases: For ˆH=Ni=1p2i2m+i<ju(|xixj|), one has Z(T,V,N)=λNdTQN(T,V), where

QN(T,V)=1N!ddx1ddxNi<jeu(rij)/kBT

is the configuration integral. For the one-dimensional Tonks gas of N hard rods of length a confined to the region x[0,L], one finds QN(T,L)=(LNa)N, whence the equation of state p=nkBT/(1na). For more complicated interactions, or in higher dimensions, the configuration integral is analytically intractable.

Mayer cluster expansion: Writing the Mayer function fijeuij/kBT1, and assuming ddrf(r) is finite, one can expand the pressure p(T,z) and n(T,z) as power series in the fugacity z=exp(μ/kBT), viz.

p/kBT=γ(zλdT)nγbγn=γnγ(zλdT)nγbγ .

The sum is over unlabeled connected clusters γ, and nγ is the number of vertices in γ. The cluster integral bγ(T) is obtained by assigning labels {1,nγ} to all the vertices, and computing

bγ(T)1sγ1Vddx1ddxnγγi<jfij ,

where fij appears in the product if there is a link between vertices i and j. sγ is the symmetry factor of the cluster, defined to be the number of elements from the symmetric group Snγ which, acting on the labels, would leave the product γi<jfij invariant. By definition, a cluster consisting of a single site has b=1. Translational invariance implies bγ(T)V0. One then inverts n(T,z) to obtain z(T,n), and inserting the result into the equation for p(T,z) one obtains the virial expansion of the equation of state,

p=nkBT{1+B2(T)n+B3(T)n2+} .

where

Bk(T)=1k(k2)!γΓkddx1ddxk1γijfij

with Γk the set of all one-particle irreducible j-site clusters. An irreducible cluster is a connected cluster which does not break apart into more than one piece if any of its sites and all of that site’s connecting links are removed from the graph. Any site whose removal, along with all its connecting links, would result in a disconnected graph is called an articulation point. Irreducible clusters have no articulation points.

Liquids: In the ordinary canonical ensemble,

P(x1,,xN)=Q1N1N!eβW(x1,,xN) ,

where W is the total potential energy, and QN is the configuration integral,

QN(T,V)=1N!ddx1ddxNeβW(x1,,xN) .

We can use P, or its grand canonical generalization, to compute thermal averages, such as the average local density

n1(r)=iδ(rxi)=Nddx2ddxNP(r,x2,,xN)

and the two particle density matrix, two-particle density matrix n2(r1,r2) is defined by

n2(r1,r2)=ijδ(r1xi)δ(r2xj)=N(N1)ddx3ddxNP(r1,r2,x3,,xN) .

Pair distribution function: For translationally invariant simple fluids consisting of identical point particles interacting by a two-body central potential u(r), the thermodynamic properties follow from the behavior of the pair distribution function (pdf),

g(r)=1Vn2ijδ(rxi+xj) ,

where V is the total volume and n=N/V the average density. The average energy per particle is then

ε(n,T)=EN=32kBT+2πn0drr2g(r)u(r) .

Here g(r) is implicitly dependent on n and T as well In the grand canonical ensemble, the pdf satisfies the compressibility sum rule, d3r[g(r)1]=kBTκTn1, where κT is the isothermal compressibility. Note g()=1. The pdf also implies the virial equation of state,

p=nkBT23πn20drr3g(r)u(r) .

Scattering: Scattering experiments are sensitive to momentum transfer q and energy transfer ω, and allow determination of the dynamic structure factor

S(q,ω)=1Ndteiωtl,leiqxl(0)eiqxl(t)T=2πNiPi j|j|Nl=1eiqxl|i|2δ(EjEi+ω) ,

where |i and |j are (quantum) states of the system being studied, and Pi is the equilibrium probability for state i.1 Integrating over all frequency, one obtains the static structure factor,

S(q)=dω2πS(q,ω)=1Nl,leiq(xlxl)=Nδq,0+1+nddreiqr[g(r)1] .

Theories of fluid structure – The BBGKY hierarchy is set of coupled integrodifferential equations relating k- and (k+1)-particle distribution functions. In order to make progress, a truncation must be performed, expressing higher order distributions in terms of lower order ones. This results in various theories of fluids, known by their defining equations for the pdf g(r). Examples include the Born-Green-Yvon equation, the Percus-Yevick equation, the hypernetted chains equation, the Ornstein-Zernike approximation, Except in the simplest cases (such as the OZ approximation), these equations must be solved numerically. OZ approximation deserves special mention. There we write S(q)1(R/ξ)2+R2q2 for small q, where ξ(T) is the correlation length and R(T) is related to the range of interactions.

Debye-Hückel theory – Due to the long-ranged nature of the Coulomb interaction, the Mayer function decays so slowly as r that it is not integrable, so the virial expansion is problematic. Progress can be made by a self-consistent mean field approach. For a system consisting of charges ±e, one assumes a local electrostatic potential ϕ(r). Boltzmann statistics then gives a charge density

ρ(r)=eλd+z+eeϕ(r)/kBTeλdzeeϕ(r)/kBT ,

where λ± and z± are the thermal de Broglie wavelengths and fugacities for the + and species. Assuming overall charge neutrality at infinity, one has λd+z+=λdz=n , and we have ρ(r)=2ensinh(eϕ(r)/kBT). The local potential is then determined self-consistently, using Poisson’s equation:

2ϕ=8πensinh(eϕ/kBT)4πρext .

If eϕkBT, we can expand the sinh function to obtain 2ϕ=κ2Dϕ4πρext , where the Debye screening wavevector is κD=(8πne2/kBT)1/2. The self-consistent potential arising from a point charge ρext(r)=Qδ(r) is then of the Yukawa form ϕ(r)=Qexp(κDr)/r in three space dimensions.

Thomas-Fermi screening – In an electron gas with kBTεF, we may take T=0. If the Fermi energy is constant, we write εF=2k2F(r)2meϕ(r), and local electron number density is n(r)=k3F(r)/3π2. Assuming a compensating smeared positive charge background ρ+=en, Poisson’s equation takes the form

2ϕ=4πen{(1+eϕ(r)εF)3/21}4πρext(r) .

If eϕεF, we expand in the presence of external sources to obtain 2ϕ=κ2TFϕ4πρext, where κTF=(6πne2/εF)1/2 is the Thomas-Fermi screening wavevector. In metals, where the electron dispersion is a more general function of crystal momentum, the density response to a local potential ϕ(r) is δn(r)=eϕ(r)g(εF) to lowest order, where g(εF) is the density of states at the Fermi energy. One then finds κTF=4πe2g(εF).


  1. In practice, what is measured is S(q,ω) convolved with spatial and energy resolution filters appropriate to the measuring apparatus.
  1. Here we modify slightly the discussion in chapter 5 of the book by L. Peliti.
  2. See. J. L. Lebowitz and A. E. Mazel, J. Stat. Phys. 90, 1051 (1998).
  3. A corresponding mapping can be found between a cubic lattice and the linear chain as well.
  4. Not that I personally think there’s anything wrong with that.
  5. Disambiguation footnote: Take care not to confuse Philipp Lenard (Hungarian-German, cathode ray tubes, Nazi), Alfred-Marie Liénard (French, Liénard-Wiechert potentials, not a Nazi), John Lennard-Jones (British, molecular structure, definitely not a Nazi), and Lynyrd Skynyrd (American, "Free Bird”, possibly killed by Nazis in 1977 plane crash). I thank my colleague Oleg Shpyrko for setting me straight on this.
  6. We assume that the long-ranged behavior of f(r)βu(r) is integrable.
  7. See C. N. Yang and R. D. Lee, Phys. Rev. 87, 404 (1952) and ibid, p. 410
  8. See http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Close-packing. For randomly close-packed hard spheres, one finds, from numerical simulations, fRCP=0.644.
  9. To derive this expression, note that F(surf) is directed inward and vanishes away from the surface. Each Cartesian direction α=(x,y,z) then contributes F(surf)αLα, where Lα is the corresponding linear dimension. But F(surf)α=pAα, where Aα is the area of the corresponding face and p. is the pressure. Summing over the three possibilities for α, one obtains Equation ???.
  10. We may write δq,0=1V(2π)dδ(q).
  11. So named after Bogoliubov, Born, Green, Kirkwood, and Yvon.
  12. I am grateful to Jonathan Lam and Olga Dudko for explaining this to me.
  13. There are logarithmic corrections to the SAW result exactly at d=4, but for all d>4 one has ν=12.

This page titled 6.S: Summary is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Daniel Arovas.

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