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Physics 262: Problem Set 3: Due: Oct 22

1. This physics problem set covers topics in thermodynamics including blackbody radiation, Bose-Einstein condensation, and Fermi gases. It contains 4 main questions involving calculations of partition functions, energy densities, heat capacities, and critical temperatures for phase transitions. 2. For a Bose gas in a gravitational field, the problem asks to calculate how Bose-Einstein condensation temperature is modified by gravity and find the discontinuity in specific heat at the condensation temperature. 3. For a Bose gas in d dimensions, the student is asked to calculate thermodynamic quantities like grand potential and density as a function of dimension d, and find how ratios like heat capacity depend on dimension and behave

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179 views

Physics 262: Problem Set 3: Due: Oct 22

1. This physics problem set covers topics in thermodynamics including blackbody radiation, Bose-Einstein condensation, and Fermi gases. It contains 4 main questions involving calculations of partition functions, energy densities, heat capacities, and critical temperatures for phase transitions. 2. For a Bose gas in a gravitational field, the problem asks to calculate how Bose-Einstein condensation temperature is modified by gravity and find the discontinuity in specific heat at the condensation temperature. 3. For a Bose gas in d dimensions, the student is asked to calculate thermodynamic quantities like grand potential and density as a function of dimension d, and find how ratios like heat capacity depend on dimension and behave

Uploaded by

romanberens2
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Physics 262: Problem Set 3

Due: Oct 22
1 Blackbody radiation
Consider a radiation cavity of volume V and temperature T , viewed as a collection of oscillators with quantized
energies s = (ns + 1)~s .
(a) Find hs i and hns i and argue that these energy quanta can be viewed in the grand canonical ensemble as
particles of zero chemical potential, a.k.a photons. Take this approach to obtain Stefans law, U/V T 4 .
(b) (Pathria 7.20) The canonical partition function of the blackbody radiation can be written as
Y
ZN (V, T ) =
Z1 (, T )

so that

ln ZN (V, T ) '

ln Z1 (, T )g(, T )d ,
0

with Z1 (, T ) the partition function of a single harmonic oscillator, obtained in class. Find g() and use
this information to evaluate the Helmholtz free energy and derive the equilibrium pressure and energy
density U/V .
(c) (Pathria 7.21) Show that the energy per photon is given approximately by 2.7kB T . Compare this energy
with ~ hi and ~max . Here max is the angular velocity which maximizes g().

2 Bose Gas in a Gravitational Field (Pathria 7.10)


Consider an ideal Bose gas in a cylinder of height L and volume V , and in a uniform gravitational field of
acceleration g.
(a) Show that Bose-Einstein condensation in this gas sets in at a temperature Tc given by
s
"
#
8
1
mgL
0
Tc ' Tc 1 +
,
9 (3/2)
kTc0
where Tc0 is the Bose-Einstein condensation temperature in the absence of gravity and mgL  kB Tc0 .
(b) Show that at the condensation temperature there is a discontinuity in the specific heat CV of the gas
given
s
 
9
3
mgL
(CV )T =Tc =

N kB
.
8
2
kTc0

3 Bose condensation in d dimensions (Kardar 7.11)


Consider a gas of non-interacting (spinless) bosons with an energy spectrum  = p2 /2m, contained in a box
of volume V = Ld in d dimensions.
(a) Calculate the grand potential = kB T ln Z, and the density n = N/V , at a chemical potential .
+
Express your answers in terms of d and fm
(z), where z = e , and
Z
xm1
1
+
dx .
fm (z) =
(m) 0 z 1 ex 1
(Hint: Use integration by parts on the expression for ln Z.)

2
(b) Calculate the ratio P V /E, and compare it with the classical value.
(c) Find the critical temperature, Tc (n), for Bose-Einstein condensation.
(d) Calculate the heat capacity C(T ) for T < Tc (n).
(e) Sketch the heat capacity at all temperatures.
(f) Find the ratio, Cmax /C(T ), of the maximum heat capacity to its classical limit, and evaluate it
in d = 3.
(g) How does the above calculated ratio behave as d 2? In what dimensions are your results valid?
Explain.

4 Fermi Gases in a Cylinder (Huang 11.15)


A cylinder is separated into two compartments by a free sliding, impermeable piston. Two ideal Fremi gases
are placed into the two compartments, numbered 1 and 2. The particles in compartment 1 have spin 1/2,
while those in compartment 2 have spin 3/2. They all have the same mass. Find the equilibrium relative
density of the two gases at T = 0 and at T .

Physics 262

PS 3

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