Statistical Mechanics - Homework Assignment 5

Alejandro Gomez Espinosa

April 28, 2013

Pathria 8.2 For a Fermi-Dirac gas, we may dene a temperature T
0
at which the chemical potential of
the gas is zero (z = 1). Express T
0
in terms of the Fermi temperature T
F
of the gas. (Hint: Use
equation (E.16).)
Let us start with Equation (8.1.4):
N
V
=
g

3
f
3/2
(z) =
(2mkT)
3/2
h
3
gf
3/2
where T = T
0
as dened in the problem. Then, solving for T
0
:
T
0
=
N
2/3
h
2
2mk(gV f
3/2
(z))
2/3
(1)
Then, the Fermi temperature is dened by T
F
=

F
k
where the Fermi energy
F
is given by the
equation (8.1.24):

F
=
_
3N
4gV
_
2/3
h
2
2m
(2)
Hence, comparing (2) and (1):
T
0
=
N
2/3
h
2
2mk(gV f
3/2
(z))
2/3
=
_
4
3f
3/2
(z)
_
2/3
_
3N
4gV
_
2/3
h
2
2mk
=
_
4
3f
3/2
(z)
_
2/3

F
k
=
_
4
3

f
3/2
(z)
_
2/3
T
F
(3)
Now, let us calculate the factor f
3/2
(z). Since = 0, therefore z = e

= 1, thus
f
3/2
(z = 1) =
1

_
3
2
_
_

0
x
1/2
e
x
+ 1
dx (4)
That is an integral easy to calculate using equation (E.16):
1
(j + 1)
_

0

j
e

+ 1
d =
_
1
1
2
j
_
(j + 1)

gomez@physics.rutgers.edu
1
Hence, equation (4) become:
f
3/2
(z = 1) =
1

_
3
2
_
_

0
x
1/2
e
x
+ 1
dx =
_
1
1

2
_

_
3
2
_
0.77 (5)
Plugging this result into (3), we got the nal result:
T
0
=
_
1.73

_
2/3
T
F
= 0.98T
F
Finally, using this result, we combined with knowledge of the low and high temperature limits, to
sketch as a function of temperature in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Sketch of /
F
as function of kT/
F
using the relation

F
=
kT

F
ln
_
e
N/gkT
1
_
where, in this
case for simplicity, g = N = 1.
2
Pathria 8.13 Show that, quite generally, the low-temperatre behavior of the chemical potential, the spe-
cic heat, and the entropy of an ideal Fermi gas is given by

F
_
1

2
6
_
ln a()
ln
_
=
F
_
kT

F
_
2
_
(6)
and
C
v
S

2
3
k
2
Ta(
F
) (7)
where a() is the density of (the single-particle) states in the system. Examine these results for a
gas with energy spectrum p
s
, conned to a space of n dimensions, and discuss the special cases:
s=1 and 2, with n = 2 and 3. (Hint: Use equation E.18)
Let us start with equation (8.1.20):
N =
_

F
0
a()d (8)
where the density of states a() is given by: a()d = g()f()d where f() = (e
()+1
)
1
. Then,
N =
_

F
0
g()d
e
()
+ 1
=
1

_

F
0
g(x)dx
e
x/
+ 1
if x =

(9)
This integral is similar to equation E.18 given in the book:
_

0
(x)dx
e
x
+ 1
=
_

0
(x)dx +

2
6
_
d
dx
_
x=
+ ... (10)
Using this relation into (9):
N =
1

_
_
/
0
g(x) dx +

2
6
_
dg(x)
dx
_
x=/
+ ...
_
=
1

0
+

2
6
_
dg(x)
dx
_
x=/
+ ...
_

F
_
1

2
6
_
ln a()
ln
_
=
F
_
kT

F
_
2
_
Now, for the heat capacity at constant volume we need to calculate the internal energy rst:
U =
_

F
0
a()d
=
_

F
0
g()
e
()
+ 1
d
that is very similar of the result of the chemical potential. In a good approximation:
U

2
6
_
dg()
d(/)
(kT)
2

F
_
(11)
and for the chemical potential:
C
v
=
_
U
T
_
V
=

T
_

2
6
dg()
d(/)
(kT)
2

F
_

2
3
k
2
Ta(
F
) (12)
3
In the case that p
s
, the density of states is given by:
a() =
gV
h
3
4p
2
f()dp
=
gV
2
2
_
2m

_
3/2

1/2
e
()
+ 1
d
=
gV
2
2
_
2m

_
3/2
p
s/2
e
(p
s
)
+ 1
sp
s1
dp
=
gV s
2
2
_
2m

_
3/2
p
3s/21
e
(p
s
)
+ 1
dp
Then, we only need to calculate the term inside the parentesis for each case. For s = 1:
a() =
gV
2
2
_
2m

_
3/2
p
3/21
e
(p)
+ 1
dp
_
dg(x
dx
_
=
gV
2
2
_
2m

_
3/2
d
d
p
1/2
=
gV
2
2
_
2m

_
3/2
d
dp
_
p
1/2
_
=
gV
4
2
_
2m

_
3/2
p
1/2
and the thermodinamic variables are:

F
_
1

2
6
gV
4
2
_
2m

_
3/2
p
1/2
_
kT

F
_
2
_
C
v
S

2
3
k
2
T
gV
4
2
_
2m

_
3/2
p
1/2
For s = 2:
a() =
gV
2
2
_
2m

_
3/2
p
6/21
e
(p
2
)
+ 1
dp
_
dg(x
dx
_
=
gV
2
2
_
2m

_
3/2
d
d
p
2
=
gV
2
2
_
2m

_
3/2
d
dp
_

p
1/2
2p
_
=
gV
8
2
_
2m

_
3/2
p
3/2
and the thermodinamic variables are:

F
_
1 +

2
6
gV
4
2
_
2m

_
3/2
p
3/2
_
kT

F
_
2
_
C
v
S

2
3
k
2
T
gV
4
2
_
2m

_
3/2
p
3/2
4
Pathria 10.5 Show that the rst-order Joule-Thomson coecient of a gas is given by the formula
_
T
P
_
H
=
N
C
p
_
T
(a
2

3
)
T
a
2

3
_
(13)
where a
2
(T) is the second virial coecient of the gas and H its enthalpy; see equation (10.2.1).
Derive an explicit expression for the Joule-Thomson coecient in the case of a gas with interparticle
interaction
u(r) =
_
_
_
+ for 0 < r < D,
u
0
for D < r < r
1
,
0 for r
1
< r < ,
(14)
and discuss the temperature dependence of this coecient.
Let us calculate the JT coecient:
_
T
P
_
H
=
_
T
H
_
P
_
P
H
_
T
=
_
H
P
_
T
_
H
T
_
P
=
1
C
p
_
H
P
_
(15)
Then, we know that:
dH = C
p
dT + V
_
1
T
V
_
V
T
_
P
_
dP (16)
therefore:
_
H
P
_
T
= V
_
1
T
V
_
V
T
_
P
_
(17)
Plugging (17) into (15):
_
T
P
_
H
=
1
C
p
V
_
1
T
V
_
V
T
_
P
_
=
1
C
p
_
T
_
V
T
_
P
V
_
(18)
Now, let us calculate the partial derivative in the RHS using equation (10.2.1):
Pv
kT
=

l=1
a
l
(T)
_

3
v
_
l1
P =
kT
v

l=1
a
l
(T)
_

3
v
_
l1
P =
NkT
V
+
NkT
V
2
a
2
(T)
3
+ ....
dP = 0 =
Nk
V
dT
NkT
V
2
dV +
Nk
V
2
_
a
2

3
T
(a
2

3
)
T
_
dT 2NkT
a
2

3
V
3
dV + ...
Nk
V
_
1 +
1
V
_
a
2

3
T
(a
2

3
)
T
__
dT =
NkT
V
2
_
1 + 2
a
2

3
V
_
dV
_
V
T
_
P
=
V
T
_
1 +
1
V
_
a
2

3
T
(a
2

3
)
T
___
1 + 2
a
2

3
V
_
1

V
T
_
1 +
1
V
_
a
2

3
T
(a
2

3
)
T
___
1 2
a
2

3
V
+ ...
_

V
T
_
1 +
1
V
_
a
2

3
T
(a
2

3
)
T
_
2
a
2

3
V
_
=
V
T
_
1
a
2

3
V
+
T
V
(a
2

3
)
T
_
5
Plugging this result into (18), we found:
_
T
P
_
H
=
1
C
p
_
T
_
V
T
_
P
V
_
=
1
C
p
_
T
_
V
T
_
1
a
2

3
V
+
T
V
(a
2

3
)
T
__
V
_
=
1
C
p
_
V a
2

3
+ T
(a
2

3
)
T
V
_
=
1
C
p
_
T
(a
2

3
)
T
a
2

3
_
Now, let us discuss this expression for a gas with interparticle interaction. The term a
2
is given by
equation (10.3.1):
a
2
=
2

3
_

0
_
1 e
u(r)
_
r
2
dr (19)
For the case when 0 < r < D:
a
2
=
2

3
_
D
0
_
1 e

_
r
2
dr
=
2

3
_
D
0
r
2
dr
=
2

3
r
3
3

D
0
=
2D
3
3
3
and the JT coecient:
_
T
P
_
H
=
N
C
p
_
T

_
2D
3
/3
_
T

2D
3
3
_
=
2D
3
N
3C
p
For the case when D < r < r
1
:
a
2
=
2

3
_
r
1
D
_
1 e
u
0

_
r
2
dr
=
2

3
_
1 e
u
0

_
_
r
1
D
r
2
dr
=
2

3
_
1 e
u
0

_
r
3
3

r
1
D
=
2
3
3
_
1 e
u
0

_
(r
3
1
D
3
)
and the JT coecient:
_
T
P
_
H
=
N
C
p
_
T

_
2
3
_
1 e
u
0

_
(r
3
1
D
3
)
_
T

2
3
_
1 e
u
0

_
(r
3
1
D
3
)
_
=
N
C
p
_

2T
3
(r
3
1
D
3
)

_
e
u
0
/kT
_
T

2
3
_
1 e
u
0

_
(r
3
1
D
3
)
_
=
2N
3C
p
(r
3
1
D
3
)
_
u
0
kT
e
u
0

_
1 e
u
0

__
6
For the case when r
1
< r < :
a
2
=
2

3
_

r
1
_
1 e
0
_
r
2
dr = 0
and the JT coecient:
_
T
P
_
H
= 0
From the expressions above, the only temperature dependence of the JT coecient is when D <
r < r
1
. Since temperature appears in the exponential and the denominator, when T 0 this term
tends to
2N
3Cp
(r
3
1
D
3
). On the other hand, when T it is clear that this term blows up.
7