1.

A system consists of particles in three dimension with momentum ⃗p and

energy ε =c|⃗p| , c being the velocity of light. The system is maintained at
an absolute equilibrium temperature T , volume V and chemical potential
μ . What will be the grand partition function of this system?
2. Consider a system maintained at an absolute temperature T , with two
available energy states ε 1 and ε 2 and degeneracy factors g1 and g2 ,
respectively. If p1 and p2 are the probabilities of occupancy of these two
energy states, what is the entropy of the system?
3. A monatomic gas consisting of atoms with two internal energy levels, the
ground state ε =0 and an excited state ε =ε 1 , is in thermal equilibrium at
an absolute temperature T . To what value the specific heat of the system
will approach as T → ∞ ?
4. Consider a system of two particles. Each particle can occupy one of the three
quantum states characterized by energy values ε 1 , ε 2 and ε 3 . What is
ratio of the probability that two particles are in same state to the probability that
the particles are in different states (i) if the particles are bosons, and (ii) if the
particles are classical (Maxwell-Boltzmann)?
5. The number of microstates of a gas comprised of N particles, contained
within a volume V and having an internal energy E is given by,
3N /2
aE
Ω ( E ,V , N )= (V − N b )
N
( )
N

where a and b are positive constants. Obtain the gas equation.

6. A gas of N molecules of mass m is confined to a cube of volume

3
V =L at an absolute temperature T . The box is in a uniform gravitational
field – g ^z . Assuming that the potential energy of a molecule is U =mgz ,
where z ( 0 ≤ z ≤ L ) ) denotes the vertical coordinate of a molecule inside the
box. What will be the gas pressure P at height z ?
7. A two dimensional box in a uniform magnetic field B contains N /2
1
localized spin particles with magnetic moment μ , and N /2 free
2
spin-less particles which do not interact with each other. What is the average
energy of the system at an absolute temperature T ?
8. An ideal gas of non-relativistic fermions in three dimensions is kept at
T =0 K . By what factor the average energy per particle will increase or
decrease, if both the number density and mass of the particles are doubled?

9. Given that the grand canonical partition function of an ideal gas with
temperature T , volume , and particle number is

[ ( )]
3
2πm
Q ( z , V ,T )=exp V e β μ 2
β h3

find out the fluctuation √( Δ N ) 2

in the particle number .
 1
10. Consider a system of 2N noninteracting spin particles, each fixed in
2
position and carrying a magnetic moment μ . The system is kept under the
influence of a uniform magnetic field B . What will be the number of spin up
particles for which the entropy of the system will be maximum?
11. The Fermi energy ε F of N non-interacting fermions varies with the
number density n as, ε F ∝n α . What will be the values of α in one, two
and three dimensions?
12. If the mean square fluctuation in the energy of a system at equilibrium temp.
T is proportional to T α , how the average energy of the system will
depend on T ?
13. Two classical particles are allowed to occupy N ( N >2) sites, uniformly
distributed over a circular ring. Each site can accommodate only one particle. If
the particles occupy nearest neighbour sites, then the energy of the system
increases by ε . What is the average energy of the system at temperature
T ?
14. A cylinder at temperature T =0 K is separated into two compartments A
and B by a free sliding piston. Compartments A and B are filled,
1 3
respectively by spin and spin particles. If both types of particles
2 2
have same mass, what will be ratio of equilibrium number density of the gases
in two compartments?
15. A box of volume V containing N molecules of an ideal gas, is divided
into two parts by a wall with a hole. If the volume of the smaller compartment
is V / 3 , what is the variance in the number of molecules present in it?
16. A gas of non-relativistic classical particles in one dimension is subjected to a
potential V ( x ) =α |x| , where α is a constant. If the temp. of the system is
T , what will be its partition function?
17. Graphene is a planar monatomic layer of carbon atoms. The dispersion relation
of electrons in Graphene is taken to be, ω=ck . How the Fermi energy of the
system will depend on the number density of electrons?
18. Consider an ideal gas of N classical particles in a two dimensional square
box of side L . If the total energy of the gas is E , what will be its entropy?
19. The Hamiltonian of a two level system is H= [ γ −δ
−δ γ ] . Determine the
partition function of the system.
1
20. The Hamiltonian of a system of non-interacting spin particles (magnetic
2
dipoles) is H=μ0 B ∑ S zi , where z
S i =± 1 are the components of i-th spin
i

along an external magnetic field B .

(i) What should be the minimum value of μ0 B / kT for which ⟨ S iz ⟩ ≥ 13 ?
(ii) If exp ( μ0 B / kT )=2 at a temperature T , what will be the specific heat
per particle for this system?
 (iii) If the mean energy per particle for the system is μ0 B / kT , what will be
the Helmhotz free energy per particle?

21. Use the Sommerfield expansion to O ( T 4 ) to find out the expressions of the
Fermi functions . Hence arrive at the following expression of the internal
energy of an ideal Fermi gas,

[ ( ) ( )]
2 2 2 4
E 3 5 π kB T π k BT 6
= ε F 1+ − +O ( T )
N 5 12 ε F 16 ε F

22. Particles of an ideal Bose gas in d -dimensions obeys a dispersion relation

like ε =α k s , where α and s are constants. For Bose-Einstein
condensation to occur, the occupancy of excited states,
∞ ( d − s ) /s
ε
N e ∝∫ dε
e β (ε −μ ) − 1
0
should remain constant even when μ=0 . Find out how the ratio d /s
should be constrained.
23. If the Hamiltonian of a classical particle is
2 2
px + p y
H= + xy
2m
then what will be the value of ⟨ x2 + xy + y 2 ⟩ at temperature T ?

24. Liquid helium has a molar volume 27.6 ×10− 6 m 3 . Assuming that the inter-
molecular interactions in the liquid are weak, determine the temperature at
which Bose-Einstein condensation is expected. Given, k B=1.38 ×10− 16
erg/K, c=3 ×10 10 cm/sec., ℏ=1.06 × 10−27 erg sec., m p=1.67 ×10 −27 kg . ,
23
N A =6.023× 10 / mol .
33 10
25. Mass of the sun is 2× 10 gm., its radius 7 ×10 cm., its surface
temperature 6000 K , and the temperature of its core 107 K . Assuming a
constant density hydrogen plasma model for the sun, show that in the core the
plasma is fully ionized, and the free electrons originating from the core are
non-degenerate and non-relativistic.