This revised edition of the classical book on Statistical Mechanics covers the basic concepts of equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical physics. In addition to equilibrium statistics and thermodynamics this book covers important elements of non-equilibrium phenomena.

Unique and consistent mathematical treatise Deductive description of equilibrium statistics and thermodynamics Non-equilibrium statistics Offers all equations and deductions necessary Describes the broad area with applications including modern aspects Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

Dietmar Petrascheck studied physics at the University of Vienna where he also received his doctorate. In 1987 he completed his habilitation at the University of Linz and has been an associate professor since 1997. Franz Schwabl (deceased) was full professor of theoretical physics at the Technical University of Munich and retired in 2003. He conducted research in the field of magnetic materials and investigated structure formation in driven, dissipative nonequilibrium systems. He is the author of the very well-known textbooks on Quantum Mechanics and Statistical Mechanics.

Klappentext

The completely revised new edition of the classical book on Statistical Mechanics covers the basic concepts of equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical physics. In addition to a deductive approach to equilibrium statistics and thermodynamics based on a single hypothesis - the form of the microcanonical density matrix - this book treats the most important elements of non-equilibrium phenomena. Intermediate calculations are presented in complete detail. Problems at the end of each chapter help students to consolidate their understanding of the material. Beyond the fundamentals, this text demonstrates the breadth of the field and its great variety of applications. Modern areas such as renormalization group theory, percolation, stochastic equations of motion and their applications to critical dynamics, kinetic theories, as well as fundamental considerations of irreversibility, are discussed. The text will be useful for advanced students of physics and other natural sciences; a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics is presumed.

Inhalt
Basic Principles.- Equilibrium Ensembles.- Thermodynamics.- Ideal Quantum Gases.- Real Gases, Liquids, and Solutions.- Magnetism.- Phase Transitions, Scale Invariance, Renormalization Group Theory, and Percolation.- Brownian Motion, Equations of Motion, and the Fokker-Planck Equations.- The Boltzmann Equation.- Irreversibility and the Approach to Equilibrium.