FUNDAMENTALS OF STATISTICAL MECHANICS
Manuscript and Notes of Felix Bloch
by John D Walecka (The College of William & Mary, USA)
Preface (402k)
Table of Contents (105k)
Chapter 1: Introduction and Basic Concepts (157k)
Chapter 2: Classical Physics
Chapter 2.1: Hamilton's Equations(*) (611k)
Chapter 2.2: Phase Space(*) (155k)
Chapter 2.3 Liouville's Theorem(*) (465k)
The 1952 Nobel physics laureate Felix Bloch (1905–83) was one of the titans of twentieth-century physics. He laid the fundamentals for the theory of solids and has been called the "father of solid-state physics." His numerous, valuable contributions include the theory of magnetism, measurement of the magnetic moment of the neutron, nuclear magnetic resonance, and the infrared problem in quantum electrodynamics.
Statistical mechanics is a crucial subject which explores the understanding of the physical behaviour of many-body systems that create the world around us. Bloch's first-year graduate course at Stanford University was the highlight for several generations of students. Upon his retirement, he worked on a book based on the course. Unfortunately, at the time of his death, the writing was incomplete.
This book has been prepared by Professor John Dirk Walecka from Bloch's unfinished masterpiece. It also includes three sets of Bloch's handwritten lecture notes (dating from 1949, 1969 and 1976), and details of lecture notes taken in 1976 by Brian Serot, who gave an invaluable opinion of the course from a student's perspective. All of Bloch's problem sets, some dating back to 1933, have been included.
The book is accessible to anyone in the physical sciences at the advanced undergraduate level or the first-year graduate level.
Contents:
- Introduction and Basic Concepts
- Classical Physics
- The Statistical
Ensemble
- Thermal Equilibrium and the Canonical Distribution
- Applications of Classical Statistics
- Quantum Statistics
- Applications of Quantum Statistics
- five appendices
Readership: First-year graduate and advanced undergraduate students in
physics.
"Felix Bloch, one of the giants of 20th century Physics, devised a course on Statistical Mechanics, which he developed, modified and improved over a period of several decades. John Walecka's book is based on this course and on Bloch's notes and manuscript ... I have used the book in class-work on several occasions. I found it particularly useful in "seminar classes", where students are required to read and cope with a new topic and then present it to their fellow students. In this context, I have recommended this book to students on such topics as the transition from Classical Mechanics to Statistical Mechanics to Thermodynamics or the transition from Classical Statistical Mechanics to Quantum Statistical Mechanics. The treatment of these two subjects involves basic concepts and principles and requires a very clear understanding of the essentials. I found that students, even at the undergraduate level, greatly benefited and enjoyed using those parts of the book relevant to their assignments ... I consider this book as one of the most cherished gems of my scientific library."
Professor Hanoch Gutfreund
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| 316pp |
Pub. date: Nov 2000 |
