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The document is a problem set for a course on Statistical Mechanics, focusing on the Microcanonical Ensemble. It includes problems related to classical and quantum harmonic oscillators, hard sphere gas, and optional problems on interacting rod-molecules, with tasks such as calculating entropy, energy, heat capacity, and probability densities. The problems require applying statistical mechanics concepts and methods to derive various physical properties of the systems described.

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2 views

ps6

The document is a problem set for a course on Statistical Mechanics, focusing on the Microcanonical Ensemble. It includes problems related to classical and quantum harmonic oscillators, hard sphere gas, and optional problems on interacting rod-molecules, with tasks such as calculating entropy, energy, heat capacity, and probability densities. The problems require applying statistical mechanics concepts and methods to derive various physical properties of the systems described.

Uploaded by

avantisng2203
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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8.

333: Statistical Mechanics I Problem Set # 6 Due: 10/31/05


The Microcanonical Ensemble

1. Classical Harmonic Oscillators: Consider N harmonic oscillators with coordinates and


momenta {qi , pi }, and subject to a Hamiltonian

N � 2
m� 2 qi2
�
� pi
H({qi , pi }) = + .
i=1
2m 2

(a) Calculate the entropy S, as a function of the total energy E.


(Hint: By appropriate change of scale, the surface of constant energy can be deformed
into a sphere. You may then ignore the difference between the surface area and volume
for N ∝ 1. A more elegant method is to implement this deformation through a canonical
transformation.)
(b) Calculate the energy E, and heat capacity C, as functions of temperature T , and N .
(c) Find the joint probability density P (p, q) for a single oscillator. Hence calculate the
mean kinetic energy, and mean potential energy for each oscillator.
********

2. Quantum Harmonic Oscillators: Consider N independent quantum oscillators subject


to a Hamiltonian
N � �
� 1
H ({ni }) = h�
¯ ni + ,
i=1
2

where ni = 0, 1, 2, · · ·, is the quantum occupation number for the ith oscillator.


(a) Calculate the entropy S, as a function of the total energy E.
�
(Hint: �(E) can be regarded as the number of ways of rearranging M = i ni balls, and
N − 1 partitions along a line.)
(b) Calculate the energy E, and heat capacity C, as functions of temperature T , and N .
(c) Find the probability p(n) that a particular oscillator is in its nth quantum level.
(d) Comment on the difference between heat capacities for classical and quantum oscilla­
tors.
********

3. Hard Sphere Gas: Consider a gas of N hard spheres in a box. A single sphere occupies
volume �, while its center of mass can explore a volume V (if the box is otherwise empty).

1
There are no other interactions between the spheres, except for the constraints of hard-core
exclusion.
(a) Calculate the entropy S, as a function of the total energy E.
� � �2
(Hint: V − a� V − (N − a)� � V − N �/2 .)
(b) Calculate the equation of state of this gas.
(c) Show that the isothermal compressibility, �T = −V −1 κV /κP |T , is always positive.
********
4. (Optional) Interacting Rod-Molecules: A collection of N asymmetric molecules in two
dimensions may be modeled as a gas of rods, each of length 2l and lying in a plane. A
rod can move by translation of its center of mass and rotation about latter, as long as it
does not encounter another rod. Without treating the hard-core interaction exactly, we
can incorporate it approximately by assuming that the rotational motion of each rod is
restricted (by the other rods) to an angle ω, which in turn introduces an excluded volume
� (ω) (associated with each rod). The value of ω is then calculated self consistently by
maximizing the entropy at a given density n = N/V , where V is the total accessible area.

excluded
volume
2l

(a) Write down the entropy of such a collection of rods in terms of N , n, �, and A (ω),
the entropy associated to the rotational freedom of a single rod. (You may ignore the
momentum contributions throughout, and consider the large N limit.)
(b) Extremizing the entropy as a function of ω, relate the density to �, A, and their
derivatives �� , A� ; express your result in the form n = f (�, A, �� , A� ).
(c) Express the excluded volume � in terms of ω and sketch f as a function of ω � [0, �],
assuming A � ω.
(d) Describe the equilibrium state at high densities. Can you identify a phase transition
as the density is decreased? Draw the corresponding critical density nc on your sketch.
What is the critical angle ωc at the transition? You don’t need to calculate ωc explicitely,
but give an (implicit) relation defining it. What value does ω adopt at n < nc ?
********
Suggested Reading: Huang, Chapter 6.

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