PHYC30017 – Problem Solving Session 2

1. The Helmholtz energy, 𝐹𝐹, for a photon gas in a cavity of volume 𝑉𝑉 in equilibrium with
the walls at temperature 𝑇𝑇 is:
𝑎𝑎
𝐹𝐹 = − . 𝑉𝑉. 𝑇𝑇 4
3

where 𝑎𝑎 is a constant.

(a) Calculate the entropy, 𝑆𝑆, of a photon gas

(b) Calculate the pressure of a photon gas and its equation of state (i.e. the relation
between 𝑝𝑝, 𝑉𝑉, 𝑁𝑁 and 𝑇𝑇)

(c) Calculate the internal energy, 𝐸𝐸, of the photon gas in the cavity.
Advanced: Show that this is consistent with the quantum mechanical spectral energy
distribution 𝑢𝑢(𝜈𝜈, 𝑇𝑇)

(d) Find the index for the adiabaticity criterion for a photon gas.
i.e. find 𝛾𝛾 where 𝑝𝑝𝑉𝑉 𝛾𝛾 = 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐.

(e) What is the chemical potential, 𝜇𝜇, of a photon gas? What physical consequences can
you ascribe to this value of 𝜇𝜇?

(f) What is the Gibbs energy of a photon gas?

(g) (Show that the Maxwell Relations derived in lectures apply to a photon gas.)

2. Show the equilibrium state of a system in contact with a pressure reservoir, but
thermally isolated by an impermeable barrier, will be the one that minimizes the
enthalpy.

3. Show that the equilibrium state of a system in contact with a thermal and pressure
reservoir with a permeable barrier that allows particle exchange will be the one that
minimizes the Landau energy.

4. Bonus question: Find the temperature of the Earth to first approximation assuming the
Earth is a black-body.